Epidemiological survey on the helminthic infections in residents of Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, Republic of

초록

Present study was performed to survey the helminthic infections in residents of Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, Korea. A total of 1,257 fecal samples were examined by formalim-ether sedimentation technic. Helminth eggs were detected from 111 (8.8%) fecal samples of residents: heterophyid eggs from 69 (5.5%); Clonorchis sinensis from 40 (3.2%); Trichuris trichiura and echinostomatid eggs from each 1 people. Among 69 positive cases of heterophyid eggs, 32 (2.6%) were revealed larger and dark brown colored eggs (35.3 20.3 μm and 40.0 22.7 μm in average size). To confirm the identity of these eggs, we performed the worm recovery from 12 cases after praziquantel treatment and purgation with MgSO4. A total of 1,281 adult flukes assigned to 7 species were recovered from 9 helpful cases. Heterophyes nocens (total 981 worms) was collected from 9 cases; Stictodora fuscata (80 worms) from 7; Gymnophalloides seoi (75 worms) from 5; Pygidiopsis summa (140 worms) from 3; Stellantchasmus falcatus (3 worms) from 2; Stictodora lari and Acanthotrema felis (each 1 worm) from 1 case. The intrauterine eggs of S. fuscata (35.8 20.6 μm and 42.4 24.4 μm) collected from the worm recovery were identical with the larger heterophyid eggs detected in stool examination. By the present study, it was confirmed that A. felis is a new intestinal fluke infecting humans, and residents in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do are infected with several species of intestinal trematodes.