Korean J Parasitol.  2009 Mar;47(1):37-47. 10.3347/kjp.2009.47.1.37.

A Nationwide Survey on the Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in the Republic of Korea, 2004

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Malaria and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Health, Seoul 122-701, Korea.
  • 2Department of Parasitology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-702, Korea.
  • 3Department of Molecular Parasitology and Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon 440-746, Korea.
  • 4Department of Parasitology, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
  • 5Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon 400-712, Korea.
  • 6Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
  • 7Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul 157-704, Korea.
  • 8Department of Parasitology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon 400-712, Korea.
  • 9Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Seoul 122-701, Korea. docmohw@mohw.go.kr
  • 10Department of Preventive Medicine, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Incheon 406-799, Korea.

Abstract

National surveys on the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections have been carried out every 5-7 years since 1971 in the Republic of Korea in order to establish control measures. The present nationwide survey was conducted from June to December 2004. The 10% population sampling data of Population and Housing Census by the Korean government in 2000 was used as the survey population. One sample was selected randomly from each of the 22,858 registered subjects, and a total of 20,541 people were ultimately included in this survey. Fecal examinations were performed by the cellophane thick smear and saturated brine flotation techniques. Pinworm infection was examined by cello-tape anal swab method. This survey also included a questionnaire study for a socioeconomic analysis. The total helminth egg positive rate was 3.7%, and the estimated total positive number among nationwide people was 1,780,000. The rates in urban and rural areas were 3.1% and 6.8%, respectively. As the total egg positive rate in the 6th survey in 1997 was 2.4%, the present survey showed that there was a considerable degree of increase in the prevalence rate of intestinal parasitic infections over the 7-year period following the 6th survey. The largest increases occurred in the egg positive rates of Clonorchis sinensis and heterophyids including Metagonimus yokogawai.

Keyword

Clonorchis sinensis; Metagonimus yokogawai; human; intestinal parasites; fecal examination; nationwide statistical data; Republic of Korea

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Animals
Child
Child, Preschool
Data Collection
Feces/parasitology
Female
Helminthiasis/*epidemiology/parasitology
Helminths/*isolation & purification
Humans
Infant
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/*epidemiology
Korea/epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
Parasite Egg Count
Prevalence
Rural Population
Urban Population
Young Adult
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