Korean J Parasitol.  2009 Oct;47(Suppl):S103-S113. 10.3347/kjp.2009.47.S.S103.

Fish-borne Zoonotic Trematode Metacercariae in the Republic of Korea

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Parasitology and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-751, Korea. wmsohn@gnu.ac.kr

Abstract

The prevalence of fish-borne trematodes (FBT), including Clonorchis sinensis, is still high in riverside areas of the Republic of Korea. The author reviewed the detection and identification methods, differential keys, fish intermediate hosts, and morphological characteristics of FBT metacercariae. FBT metacercariae found in freshwater fish are classified mainly into 4 families, i.e., Opisthorchiidae, Heterophyidae, Echinostomatidae, and Clinostomidae. The metacercariae of C. sinensis, found in 40 species of freshwater fish, are elliptical and 0.15-0.17 x 0.13-0.15 mm in size, have nearly equal sized oral and ventral suckers, brownish pigment granules, and an O-shaped excretory bladder. Their general morphologies are similar to those of Metorchis orientalis (except in the thickness of the cyst wall). Metagonimus spp. (M. yokogawai, M. takahashii, and M. miyatai) metacercariae are subglobular or disc-shaped, and 0.14-0.16 mm in diameter. They have yellow-brownish pigment granules, a ventral sucker deflectively located from median, and a V-shaped excretory bladder. The metacercariae and fish intermediate hosts of Centrocestus armatus, Clinostomum complanatum, and 3 echinostomatid flukes (Echinostoma hortense, E. cinetorchis, and Echinochasmus japonicus) were summarized. FBT metacercariae detected in brackish water fish are mainly members of the Heterophyidae. The morphological characters, identification keys, and fish intermediate hosts of 7 species (Heterophyes nocens, Heterophyopsis continua, Pygidiopsis summa, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Stictodora fuscata, Stictodora lari, and Acanthotrema felis) were also reviewed. The contents treated in this study will provide assistance at the laboratory bench level to those working on recovery of metacercariae from fish hosts and identifying them.

Keyword

fish-borne trematode (FBT); metacercaria; freshwater fish; brackish water fish; identification; differential key

MeSH Terms

Animals
Fishes/anatomy & histology/*parasitology
Fresh Water/parasitology
Host-Parasite Interactions
Humans
Republic of Korea
Trematoda/anatomy & histology/classification/*isolation & purification
Trematode Infections/*parasitology
Zoonoses/*parasitology
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