Korean J Prev Med.  1970 Oct;3(1):1-16.

The Present Status and a Proposal of the Prospective Measure for Parasitic Control in Korea

• Loh IK

Abstract

The present status of control treasures for public health important helminthic infections in Korea was surveyed in 1969 and the following results were obtained The activities of parasitic examination and Acaris treatment for the positives which were done during 1966 to 1969 were brought in poor result and could not decrease the infection rate. It is needed to improve or strengthen the activities. The mass treatment activities for paragonimiasis and clonorchiasis in the areas which were designated by the Ministry of Health were carried out during 1965 to 1968 with no good results in decrease of estimated number of the patients. There were too many pharmaceutical companies where many kinds of anthelmintics were produced. It may be better to reduce the number of anthelmintics produced and control the quality. The human feces, the most important source of helminthic infection, was generally not treated in sanitary ways because of the poor sewerage system and no sewage treatment plant in urban areas and insanitary latrines in rural areas. The field soils of 170 specimens were collected from 34 areas out of 55 urban and tourist areas where night soil has been prohibited by a regulation to be used as a fertilizer, and examined for parasites contamination with the result of Ascaris egg detection in 44%. Some kinds of vegetables of 64 specimens each from the supply agents of parasite free vegetables and general markets were collected and examined for parasites contamination with the results of Ascaris egg detection in 25% and 36% respectively. The parasite control activities and the ability of parasitological examination techniques in the health centers of the country were not satisfactory. The budget of the Ministry of Health for the parasite control was very poor. The actual expenditure needed for cellophane thick smear technique was 8 Won per a specimen. As a principle the control of helminthic infections might be led toward breaking the chain of events in the life cycle of the prasites and eliminating environmental and host factors concerned with the infections, and the following methods may be pointed out. 1) Mass treatment might be done to eliminate human reservoirs of an infection. 2) Animal reservoirs which are related with human infections might be eliminated. 3) The excretes of reservoirs, particularly human feces, should be treated in sanitary ways by the means of sanitary sewerage system and sewage treatment plant in urban areas and sanitary latrines such as waterborne latrine, aqua privy and pit latrine in rural areas. The increase of national economical development and prohibition of the habit of using night soil as a Fertilizer might be very important factors to achieve the purpose. 4) The control of vehicles and intermediate hosts might be done by the means of prohibition of soil contamination with parasites, food sanitation, insect control and snail control. 5) The improvement of insanitary attitudes and bad habit which are related with parasitic infections might be done by the means of prohibition of habit of using night soils as a fertilizer, and improving eating habits and personal hygiene. 6) Chemoprohylactic measure and vaccination may be effective to prevent the infections or the development of a parasite to adult in the bodies were invaded by parasites. Further studies and development of this kind of measures are needed.

MeSH Terms

Acari
Adult
Animals
Anthelmintics
Ascaris
Budgets
Cellophane
Clonorchiasis
Communicable Disease Control
Eating
Feces
Health Expenditures
Helminths
Humans
Hygiene
Insect Control
Korea*
Life Cycle Stages
Ovum
Paragonimiasis
Parasites
Plants
Public Health
Sanitation
Sewage
Snails
Soil
Toilet Facilities
Vaccination
Vegetables
Anthelmintics
Cellophane
Sewage
Soil