An epidemiological suryey of Echinostoma hortense infection in Chongsong-gun, Kyongbuk province

Abstract

An epidemiological study was performed to know the infection status of E. hortense among the human residents and fish intermediate hosts in Chongsong-gun, Kyongsangbuk-do. Out of 263 people examined, 59(22.4 per cent) were positive for the eggs of E. hortense. Total 152 fresh water tishes (9 species) were examined, and Odontobutis obscura interrupta, Misgurnus angullicaudatus and Squalidus coreanus were found to harbour the metacercariae of E. hortense. Juvenile or adult E. hortense were expelled from 35 out of 54 cases treated with praziquantel. The number of worms per individual ranged from l to 649, with the average burden of 51. The eosinophil count of infected persons ranged 1-24 per cent (6 per cent in average). The number of eggs per day per worm (EPDPW) in human host was estimated about 1,478. The results showed that Chongsong-gun is an endemic area of E. hortense.

Foodborne Intestinal Flukes in Southeast Asia

“…In Liaoning province of China, 6 out of 10 hospitalized hepatitis patients who had eaten raw loach were found infected [123]. In the Republic of Korea, an endemicity of this echinostome infection, with 22.4% prevalence, was reported among residents of Cheongsong-gun [124]. In hospitals of the Republic of Korea, clinical cases are at times diagnosed by extracting worms through gastroduodenal endoscopy [125][126][127][128][129].…”

“…10%) among those with 51-100 worms, and 2-14% (av. 5%) among those with less than 50 worms [124]. Patients infected with E. ilocanum experienced intestinal colic and diarrhea [12].…”

Echinostoma hortense and Heterophyid Metacercariae Encysted in Yellowfin Goby, Acanthogobius flavimanus, from Shinan-gun and Muan-gun (Jeollanam-do), Korea

“…1) [16][17][18]. Especially in the Republic of Korea, a 22.4% (59/263) egg-positive rate was reported in a survey of residents in Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do [13], and recently, clinical cases have been diagnosed occasionally by the gastroduodenal endoscopy [19][20][21][22][23]. Endemic foci of heterophyid flukes are scattered around the southwestern coastal areas and islands, especially in Shinan-gun and Muan-gun (Jeollanam-do), Korea.…”

Echinostomes in humans

“…The second intermediate hosts include the loach, M. anguillicaudatus and Misgurnus mizolepis , and other freshwater fish, including Odontobutis obscura interrupta (Fig. 7.6 ), Moroco oxycephalus, Coreoperca kawamebari , and Squalidus coreanus Ryang et al 1985 ;Ryang 1990 ;Lee et al 1988b) . Tadpoles of Rana nigromaculata were experimentally proven to be a second intermediate host (Fig.…”