Korean J Parasitol.  2000 Mar;38(1):33-36. 10.3347/kjp.2000.38.1.33.

High endemicity of Metagonimus yokogawai infection among residents of Samchok-shi, Kangwon-do

• Chai JY
• Han ET
• Park YK
• Guk SM
• Kim JL
• Lee SH

• KMID: 1040995
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2000.38.1.33

Abstract

A small-scale epidemiological survey was undertaken during 1997-1998 on the residents along the Osib-chon (Stream), Samchok-shi (City), Kangwon-do (Province), to evaluate the status of Metagonimus yokogawai infection. A total of 165 fecal samples was collected and examined by cellophane thick smear and formalin-ether sedimentation techniques. The egg positive rate of M. yokogawai was 29.7%, showing a remarkable difference between males (46.6%) and females (16.3%). To obtain the adult flukes of M. yokogawai, 11 egg positive persons were treated with praziquantel and purged with magnesium sulfate. A total of 242,119 adult flukes (average 22,010 per person, 367-119,650 in range) was collected from diarrheic stools, all of which were identified as M. yokogawai. The results show that M. yokogawai is still highly endemic in this area.

MeSH Terms

Adolescence
Adult
Aged
Animal
Child
Child, Preschool
Endemic Diseases*
Feces/parasitology
Female
Heterophyidae/isolation & purification*
Human
Infant
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/parasitology
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/epidemiology*
Korea/epidemiology
Male
Middle Age
Parasite Egg Count
Trematode Infections/parasitology
Trematode Infections/epidemiology*