A Survey of Parasitic Eggs in Soils and Vegetables in a Korean Rural Area

일부농촌지역의 토양 및 채소류에서의 기생충란 조사

The law prohibits use of human excreta without proper treatment since 1968 in Korea, but the rate of infection of parasitic diseases is high among all ages of people. An examination of parasitic eggs in soil and vegetables was performed from April to September, 1974, soil samples were collected near toilet, at gardens, at vegetable farms with excreta used and not used, and strawberry farms in Shindong myon, Chunseong-gun, Kangwon province, and vegetables collected were cabbage, young radish, lettuce, Welshonion, spinach and strawberry. Main findings are as follows 1. Positive samples of Ascaris lumbricoides are 18 out of 25(64%) in the soils near toilet, 9 out of 28(3.2%) in the garden soils and 8 out of 18(44%) in the soils of vegetable farms. 2. Trichocephalus trichiurus and Enterobius vermicularis were detected in 8 soil samples respectively Trichostrongylus orientalis 7(25%) and Ancylostoma duodenale 3(11%) out of in the soils near toilets. 3. Parasitic egg negatives are 62(55%) out of 112 soil samples. 4. Ascaris lumbricoides is found in 11 roots(48%) of cabbage and young radish out of 23 respectively, 14 lettuce(34%) out of 41,4 Welsh onion(40%) out of 10,3 spinach(33%) out of 9, and 2 strawberry(11%) out of 18. 5. Ancylostoma duodenale positives are 2 roots of cabbage(9%) out of 23, 4 young radish (17%) out of 23, and 7 lettuce(17%) out of 41, and negatives of parasitic eggs on vegetables are 62 roots(51%) out of 124 samples.