Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (대한기생충학·열대의학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis Detected by RDT in Residents near the DMZ (demilitarized zone) of Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, Korea

  • Kim, Yeong Hoon (Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Lee, Jihoo (Genbody Inc.) ;
  • Kim, Young-Eun (Genbody Inc.) ;
  • Ahn, Seongkyu (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine and Inha Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Inha University School of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Tong-Soo (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine and Inha Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Inha University School of Medicine) ;
  • Hong, Sung-Jong (Department of Medical Environmental Biology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine) ;
  • Chong, Chom-Kyu (Genbody Inc.) ;
  • Ahn, Hye-Jin (Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Nam, Ho-Woo (Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea)
  • Received : 2017.06.08
  • Accepted : 2017.07.19
  • Published : 2017.08.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among the residents of Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, Korea, which partly includes the demilitarized zone (DMZ), were surveyed for 4 years and evaluated by RDT using recombinant fragment of major surface antigen (SAG1A). Sera from 1336, 583, 526, and 583 adult residents were collected on a yearly basis from 2010 to 2013, respectively. The total positive seroprevalence was 19.3, 21.9, 23.4, and 26.8% from 2010 to 2013, respectively. The positive seroprevalence in men (23.6, 27.5, 29.5, 34.6%) was far higher than women (14.1, 18.3, 19.4, 21.4%), from 2010 to 2013, respectively. This high seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in Cheorwon-gun may have been influenced in part by its geographical locality of the area as it includes the DMZ, where civilian access is strictly limited, thus creating a relatively isolated area that is a well-preserved habitat. Further research is necessary to study the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in this area.

Keywords

References

  1. Black MW, Boothroyd JC. Lytic cycle of Toxoplasma gondii. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2000; 64: 607-623. https://doi.org/10.1128/MMBR.64.3.607-623.2000
  2. Furtado JM, Smith JR, Belfort R Jr, Gattey D, Winthrop KL. Toxoplasmosis: a global threat. J Glob Infect Dis 2011; 3: 281-284. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-777X.83536
  3. Tenter AM, Heckeroth AR, Weiss LM. Toxoplasma gondii: from animals to humans. Int J Parasitol 2000; 30: 1217-1258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7519(00)00124-7
  4. Montoya JG, Remington JS. Management of Toxoplasma gondii infection during pregnancy. Clin Infect Dis 2008; 47: 554-566. https://doi.org/10.1086/590149
  5. Song KJ, Shin JC, Shin HJ, Nam HW. Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in Korean pregnant women. Korean J Parasitol 2005; 43: 69-71. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2005.43.2.69
  6. Weiss LM, Dubey JP. Toxoplasmosis: a history of clinical observations. Int J Parasitol 2009; 39: 895-901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2009.02.004
  7. Choi WY, Nam HW, Kwak NH, Huh W, Kim YR, Kang MW, Cho SY, Dubey JP. Foodborne outbreaks of human toxoplasmosis. J Infect Dis 1997; 175: 1280-1282. https://doi.org/10.1086/593702
  8. Kim MH, Choi YK, Park YK, Nam HW. A toxoplasmic uveitis case of a 60-year-old male in Korea. Korean J Parasitol 2000; 38: 29-31. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2000.38.1.29
  9. Park YH, Han JH, Nam HW. Clinical features of ocular toxoplasmosis in Korean patients. Korean J Parasitol 2011; 49: 167-171. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2011.49.2.167
  10. Choi WY, Nam HW, Youn JH, Kim WS, Kim WK. Toxoplasma antibody titers by indirect latex agglutination test in patients of Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital and Cheju Medical Center. Korean J Parasitol 1989; 27: 171-175. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.1989.27.3.171
  11. Choi WY, Nam HW, Youn JH, Kim DJ, Kong Y, Kang SY, Cho SY. Detection of antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid to Toxoplasma gondii by indirect latex agglutination test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Korean J Parasitol 1992; 30: 83-90. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.1992.30.2.83
  12. Hong SJ, Chong CK, Lee K, Kim TS, Hong YP, Ahn HJ, Kim HY, Ko AR, Kim YJ, Nam HW. Maintained seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among the residents of Jeju island, Korea. Korean J Parasitol 2011; 49: 309-311. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2011.49.3.309
  13. Yang HJ, Jin KN, Park YK, Hong SC, Bae JM, Lee SH, Choi HS, Hwang HS, Chung YB, Lee NS, Nam HW. Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the residents of Cheju island, Korea. Korean J Parasitol 2000; 38: 91-93. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2000.38.2.91
  14. Ahn HJ, Cho PY, Ahn SK, Kim TS, Chong CK, Hong SJ, Cha SH, Nam HW. Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the residents of Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, Korea. Korean J Parasitol 2012; 50: 225-227. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2012.50.3.225
  15. Yang Z, Cho PY, Ahn SK, Ahn HJ, Kim TS, Chong CK, Hong SJ, Cha SH, Nam HW. A surge in the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among the residents of islands in Gangwha-gun, Incheon, Korea. Korean J Parasitol 2012; 50: 191-197. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2012.50.3.191
  16. Song KJ, Yang Z, Chong CK, Kim JS, Lee KC, Kim TS, Nam HW. A rapid diagnostic test for toxoplasmosis using recombinant antigenic N-terminal half of SAG1 linked with intrinsically unstructured domain of gra2 protein. Korean J Parasitol 2013; 51: 503-510. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2013.51.5.503
  17. Soh CT, Lee SJ, Ahn YK. Latent infection by Toxoplasma gondii in Korea. Yonsei Med J 1960; 1: 52-54. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.1960.1.1.52
  18. Kim KC. Preserving biodiversity in Korea's demilitarized zone. Science 1997; 278: 242-243. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.278.5336.242
  19. Kim DG, Park JH, Kim JL, Jung BK, Jeon SJ, Lim H, Lee MY, Shin EH, Klein TA, Kim HC, Chong ST, Song JW, Baek LJ, Chai JY. Intestinal nematodes from small mammals captured near the demilitarized zone, Gyeonggi province, Republic of Korea. Korean J Parasitol 2015; 53: 135-139. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.1.135
  20. Dubey JP, Hill DE, Rozeboom DW, Rajendran C, Choudhary S, Ferreira LR, Kwok OC, Su C. High prevalence and genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii isolated from organic pigs in northern USA. Vet Parasitol 2012; 188: 14-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.03.008
  21. Tilahun G, Tiao N, Ferreira LR, Choudhary S, Oliveira S, Verma SK, Kwok OC, Molla B, Saville WJ, Medhin G, Kassa T, Aleme H, Gebreyes WA, Su C, Dubey JP. Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii from free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. J Parasitol 2013; 99: 740-741. https://doi.org/10.1645/12-25.1
  22. Sandstrom CA, Buma AG, Hoye BJ, Prop J, van der Jeugd H, Voslamber B, Madsen J, Loonen MJ. Latitudinal variability in the seroprevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in non-migrant and Arctic migratory geese. Vet Parasitol 2013; 194: 9-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.12.027
  23. Verma SK, Calero-Bernal R, Cerqueira-Cezar CK, Kwok OC, Dudley M, Jiang T, Su C, Hill D, Dubey JP. Toxoplasmosis in geese and detection of two new atypical Toxoplasma gondii strains from naturally infected Canada geese (Branta canadensis). Parasitol Res 2016; 115: 1767-1772. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-4914-8
  24. Hill NJ, Ma EJ, Meixell BW, Lindberg MS, Boyce WM, Runstadler JA. Transmission of influenza reflects seasonality of wild birds across the annual cycle. Ecol Lett 2016; 19: 915-925. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12629
  25. Katwere M, Kambugu A, Piloya T, Wong M, Hendel-Paterson B, Sande MA, Ronald A, Katabira E, Were EM, Menten J, Colebunders R. Clinical presentation and aetiologies of acute or complicated headache among HIV-seropositive patients in a Ugandan clinic. J Int AIDS Soc 2009; 12: 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/1758-2652-12-21
  26. Leligdowicz A, Katwere M, Piloya T, Ronald A, Kambugu A, Katabira E. Challenges in diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients presenting with central nervous system infections in a resource-limited setting. Mcgill J Med 2006; 9: 39-48.
  27. Luft BJ, Chua A. Central nervous system toxoplasmosis in HIV pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy. Curr Infect Dis Rep 2000; 2: 358-362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-000-0016-x

Cited by

  1. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii assayed using Rapid Diagnostic Tests among Residents in Three Counties Adjacent to The Demilitarized Zone, Korea vol.59, pp.1, 2017, https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2021.59.1.9
  2. Clusters of Toxoplasmosis in Ganghwa-gun, Cheorwon-gun, and Goseong-gun, Korea vol.59, pp.3, 2021, https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2021.59.3.251