• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.301-304
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• 2018

Rodents are important reservoirs of diseases affecting people and livestock, and are major sources of parasite contamination of agricultural products. We surveyed the infection status of intestinal helminths in 2 species of field mice, Apodemus agrarius and A. peninsulae, captured in the agricultural fields of Gangwon-do and Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. Total 83 mice (57 A. agrarius and 26 A. peninsulae) were collected in 2 surveyed areas, and the intestines of each mouse were opened with scissors, and then intestinal contents were examined with microscope. Total 6 species of intestinal helminth were detected in 61 (73.5%) out of 83 mice examined. Four species of nematode, i.e., Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Aspiculuris tetraptera, Heterakis spp. and ascarid, were found in 40 (48.2%), 14 (16.9%), 11 (13.3%) and 13 (15.7%) mice respectively. One species of cestode, Hymenolepis diminuta and 1 unidentified egg were also detected in the intestines of 14 (16.9%) and 1 (1.2%) mice, respectively. Conclusively, this study identified 5 helminth species in the gastrointestinal tracts of wild rodents captured in some areas in central and northern Korea, and N. brasiliensis was the most prevalent (dominant) species rather than zoonotic ones.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.419-423
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• 2014

The present study was performed to know the infection status of intestinal helminths in a most common species of field mice, Apodemus agrarius, from 2 southern regions of Korea. Total 133 and 103 mice were collected by the mouse trap in Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do and Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, respectively, from July 2005 to June 2006. The small intestine of each mouse was resected and longitudinally opened with a pair of scissors. The intestinal contents were washed with 0.85% saline until the supernatant became clear. Helminths were collected with naked eyes or under a stereomicroscope from the sediment of the intestinal content. More than 11 species of helminths (4 nematode spp., 5 trematode spp., and 2 cestode spp.) were recovered. Among these, heligmosomoid nematodes (97.5%) was the most highly and heavily infected species. As the members of trematodes, Plagiorchis muris, Brachylaima sp., Echinostoma hortense, Echinostoma cinetorchis, and unidentified echinostome larvae were found in the small intestines of 35 (14.8%), 12 (5.1%), 6 (2.5%), 1 (0.4%), and 1 (0.4%) mice respectively. Two species of tapeworms, Hymenolepis nana and Hymenolepis diminuta were also detected in 79 (33.5%) and 21 (8.9%) mice, respectively. Conclusively, heligmosomoid nematodes were the most prevalent (dominant) species among more than 11 helminth species detected, and Brachylaima sp. fluke is newly added in the list of intestinal trematodes in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.403-411
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• 2020

Adult ascarid worms from the field mice, Apodemus agrarius, were observed with a light and scanning electron microscope, and molecularly analized with 18S rRNA gene. In the scanning electron microscope, 3 prominent labia were present in the anterior end of male and female worms, but the interlabia and gubernaculum were absent. Scanning electron micrographs showed cervical alae as vestigial organs that looked like a slightly uplifted superficial sewing stitch. Total 6 pairs of post-cloacal papillae were observed on the tail of the male worms. The tail of female worms was blunt and conical shape with a spine-like structure, mucron. The eggs were sub-globular, coated with the albuminous layer and 73 by 82 ㎛ in average size. The superficial pits of T. apodemi egg (mean 8.6×6.7 ㎛) are obviously bigger than those of Toxocara spp. The partial sequence of 18S rRNA showed the sequence homology of Toxocara canis (99.6%), Toxocara cati (99.4%), Toxascaris leonina (99.4%), and Toxocara vitulorum (99.2%). Conclusively, it was confirmed that ascarid nematodes, Toxocara apodemi, recovered from striped field mice in Korea are taxonomically conspecific relationship with genus Toxocara and genetic divergence from other Toxocara species.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.473-479
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• 2021

A nationwide survey of chigger mites causing scrub typhus and an investigation of epidemiologic factors for chigger mites was conducted at 16 localities in 8 provinces in Korea during autumn 2009, 2012, and 2013. A total of 233 Apodemus agrarius were captured, and all were infested with chigger mites. The chigger index was highest in Chungcheongbuk-do in 2009 (358.3) and 2012 (290.1) and Chungcheongnam-do in 2013 (294.4). The predominant chigger mite species was Leptotrombidium pallidum in the northern and central parts and L. scutellare in the southern and western parts, Korea. L. pallidum was not found in Jellanam-do and Gyeongsangnam-do and the distribution of L. scutellare had been expanded in the northern parts of Korea. The chigger index of L. pallidum was positively correlated with temperature and negatively correlated with humidity. The incidence of scrub typhus is dependent on L. scutellare index. These findings could be helpful to monitor the distribution of chigger mites and to develop a preventive measures for scrub typhus in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.133-139
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• 2004

This study was conducted to clarify the preference and habitat condition of small mammals at the Hyeongsan river in Ulsan, Gyeongju, and Pohang from January 2003 to July 2003. In the study sites, total 111 individuals of Apodemus agrarius, Rattus norvegicus, and Micromys minutus were captured in study sites. The most abundant species were Apodemus agrarius, 79.2 percent, among the captured small mammals. Density of habitation was significantly higher in agricultural land than in either private house or woods. However, they were more abundant in paddy Weld area than in agricultural land. A number of captured small mammals were higher in herbaceous rather than three other vegetation types. Existent of river embankment and its type were important factors affecting the spatial distribution of the individuals. Preference of small mammals were significantly lower in revetment block area rather than in none or nature-stone mat area. There was significantly correlationship between the depth of water and the number of captured small mammals. A number of captured small mammals were clearly increased in reference to decreasing depth of water in study site, in conclusion, the following factors such as the vegetation structure, depth of water, types of land use and types of river dike could be affected the spatial distribution of small mammals in the study sites.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.181-188
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• 1991

Epidemiological studies on host rodents of tsutsugamushi disease were carried out during the period of July∼September 1990 at nine localities of central Korea. Among total 111 wild rodents trapped by the modified Sherman live traps, 103 were Apodemus agrarius (92.8%), seven were Crocidura lasiura (6.3%) and one was Microtus fortis (0.9%) , showing 24.0% of trapping rate in winter, 11.7% in spring, 11,2% in summer and 12.0% in autumn. Out of 103 A. agrarius 84 were parasitized by chiggers, showing 81.6% of the infestation rate and 43.0 of the chigger index. The antibody positive rate of A. agrarius sera to Rickettsia tsutsugamushi was significantly variable by locality, being in the range of 0∼78.6%. The seasonal change of the antibody positive rate at Dorai 5-ri, Goyang-gun was 75.8% in average during November∼March, decreased to 30.3% in April and further decreased to 13.3% in average during May∼August. Among 33 antibody positives, 31 were Karp strain and two were Gilliam. Seven Crocidura lasiura sera showed all negative. R. tsutsugamushi organisms were isolated from three A. ngrarius out of 94 mice tested, showing 3.2% of the infection rate.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.618-625
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• 2006

Patterns of induced daily torpor were measured in the striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius, in response to low temperature, food deprivation and various photoperiods using implanted data loggers. A total of 8 of 21 females entered daily torpor in response to low outside ambient temperature (Ta) during winter and spring, constant low Ta $(4^{\circ}C)$ or food deprivation $(23^{\circ}C)$ during summer, but 2 of 23 males did only in response to low outside Ta during winter. This fact indicates that torpor is an adaptive hypothermia to unpredictable environment in both some males and females, as well as that torpor was inhibited in males in the reproductive season as in other mammals, which is regarded as a strategy not to reduce the chance of copulation. As for females, however, torpor was employed in response to unpredictable environment even in the reproductive season, suggesting that alternative strategies other than keeping the chance of copulation maybe hired by females to keep the population. Torpor bout generally began at $6{\sim}12$ AM, but the decrease of body temperature $(T_b)$ began mainly at $4{\sim}6$ AM at any conditions, the time when Ta is lowest. This strategy might be also adopted for reducing heat loss to unpredictable environment. Minimum $T_b$ of both males and females during torpor did not fall below $16.5^{\circ}C$. Photoperiod had no influence on the incidence and timing of daily torpor in either males and females. The similar timing of torpor bout in response to the 3 different photoperiods (24D, 16L:8D or 8L:16D) under the constant temperatures $(4^{\circ}C\;or\;23{\pm}2^{\circ}C)$ suggests that entering time of torpor might be controlled by the circadian rhythm of the mice rather than by the photoperiod.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.992-993
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• 2005

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2017

The ultrastructures of the secretory acinar granules of submandibular and parotid salivary gland were examined in the Korean striped field mouse, Apodemus agraius. The acini of the submandibular salivary gland had serous and mucous acinar cells filled with numerous secretory granules. The serous acinar granules had uniformly fine dense contents and were round typed with a definite boundary between the granules. The mucous acinar granules were relatively coarse, with moderate density, and clustered together as a result of the indistinct boundaries between the granules. The acini of the parotid salivary glands contained only serous cells filled with numerous round-typed serous acinar granules. Serous acinar granules had uniformed dense matrix and definite boundaries. The ultrastructures without substructure in a matrix of serous and mucous acinar granules in the submandibular and parotid salivary glands of A. agraius were similar to those of species of Rodentia but different from those of Soricidae in Korea with a characteristic substructure in a matrix. This ultrastructure and charateristics in secretory acinar granules provide fundamental data for molecular comparisions of genetic relationships and are one of the key methods for classifying A. agraius.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.51-51
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• 2005