Infecion status of Metagonimus yokogawai metacercariae in sweetfish, Plecoglosus altivelis, from some

초록

Infecion status of Metagonimus yokogawai metacercariae in sweetfish, Plecoglosus altivelis, collected from some streams in East and South coast of Korea were investigated on August and September, 2007. Collected sweetfish were artificially digested with pepsin-HCl solution and examined under a stereomicroscope. Among 79 fish from 5 streams of Gangwon-do, 44 (55.7%) were infected with M. yokogawai metacercariae, and the average metacercarial number was 116 per infected fish. Total 44 (66.7%) out of 66 sweetfish from 5 streams of Kyongsangbuk-do were infected with M. yokogawai metacercariae, and average metacercarial number was 6 per infected fish. All 87 sweetfish collected from 5 streams of Kyongsangnam-do and Ulsan Metropolitan city were infected with M. yokogawai metacercariae, and the average metacercarial number was 846. A total of 53 (98.1%) sweetfish collected from 5 streams of Jeollanam-do were retained M. yokogawai metacercariae, and the average metacercarial density was 1,120 per infected fish. By the present study, it was confirmed that M. yokogawai metacercariae are still prevalent in the sweetfish from some localities, and the infection rates and densities of metacercariae in the sweetfish from streams of South coast is much higher than in those from East coast. We still should pay attention to this small fluke infection, and consumption of raw sweetfish naturally produced in these areas should be avoided.