Korean J Parasitol.  2015 Aug;53(4):497-499. 10.3347/kjp.2015.53.4.497.

Negligible Egg Positive Rate of Enterobius vermicularis and No Detection of Head Lice among Orphanage Children in Busan and Ulsan, Korea (2014)

• Kim DH
• Son HM
• Lee SH
• Park MK
• Kang SA
• Park SK
• Choi JH
• Park JH
• Yu HS

• KMID: 2381770
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.4.497

Abstract

To determine whether pinworm infections and head lice infestations spread among children in orphanages, 117 children from 4 orphanages in Busan-si and Ulsan-si, Korea, were examined for enterobiasis and head lice infestation between January and February 2014. The overall rate of Enterobius vermicularis egg positivity was 0.85%, whereas none of the children had head lice infestations. The rate of pinworm infection was much lower among the orphanage children compared to the rates observed in previous studies among kindergarten and primary school students. Moreover, the risk factors for enterobiasis were less frequent among these subjects than previously reported. The personal hygiene and health of the orphanage children were supervised by a regular, employed nurse through a health education program. In conclusion, pinworm infection was efficiently controlled among the children in orphanages, and this might be related to good personal hygiene practices in Korea.

Keyword

Enterobiasis; orphanage; head louse; risk factor; Busan; Ulsan

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Animals
Child
Child, Preschool
Enterobiasis/*epidemiology/parasitology
Enterobius/genetics/*isolation & purification/physiology
Female
Humans
Hygiene
Lice Infestations/*epidemiology/parasitology
Male
Orphanages/statistics & numerical data
Pediculus/genetics/*physiology
Prevalence
Republic of Korea/epidemiology