• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.663-667
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• 2013

Free-grazing ducks play a major role in the rural economy of Eastern Asia in the form of egg and meat production. In Thailand, the geographical location, tropical climate conditions and wetland areas of the country are suitable for their husbandry. These environmental factors also favor growth, multiplication, development, survival, and spread of duck parasites. In this study, a total of 90 free-grazing ducks from northern, central, and northeastern regions of Thailand were examined for intestinal helminth parasites, with special emphasis on zoonotic echinostomes. Of these, 51 (56.7%) were infected by one or more species of zoonotic echinostomes, Echinostoma revolutum, Echinoparyphium recurvatum, and Hypoderaeum conoideum. Echinostomes found were identified using morphological criteria when possible. ITS2 sequences were used to identify juvenile and incomplete worms. The prevalence of infection was relatively high in each region, namely, north, central, and northeast region was 63.2%, 54.5%, and 55.3%, respectively. The intensity of infection ranged up to 49 worms/infected duck. Free-grazing ducks clearly play an important role in the life cycle maintenance, spread, and transmission of these medically important echinostomes in Thailand.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.3 s.135
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• pp.93-100
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• 2005

The present study was performed to investigate the infection status with helminth in a group of feral cats in Korea. More than 29 helminth species including adults or eggs were detected in visceral and fecal samples of the examined cats. Among these were a host of nematodes, including toxocarids, Ancylostoma sp. and the larva of Anisakis simplex; trematodes, including Clonorchis sinensis, Paragonimus westermani, Eurytrema pancreaticum, Pharyngostomum cordatum, Metagonimus spp., Heterophyes nocens, Pygidiopsis summa, Heterophyopsis continua, Stictodora fuscata, Stictodora lari, Acanthotrema felis, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Centrocestus armatus, Procerovum varium, Cryptocotyle sp., Echinostoma revolutum, Echinostoma hortense, Echinochasmus japonicus, Stephanoprora sp., Plagiorchis muris, Neodiplostomum sp. and diplostomulum. We also detected a variety of cestodes, including Spirometra erinacei, Taenia taeniaeformis and unidentified species of tapeworm. We also found examples of the acanthocephalan, Bolbosoma sp. In our assessment of the stools, we detected at least 12 species of helminth eggs. These findings confirmed that feral cats in Korea are infected with a variety of helminth parasite species. Furthermore, among the helminths detected, E. pancreaticum, S. fuscata, S. lari, A. felis, S. falcatus, C. armatus, P. varium, Cryptocotyle sp., E. revolutum, E. japonicus, Stephanoprora sp., P. muris, Neodiplostomum sp. and Bolbosoma sp. represent helminth fauna which have not been reported previously in feral cats in the Republic of Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.603-606
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• 2013

To determine geographical patterns of natural parasite infections among wild rodents, a total of 46 wild rodents from 3 different localities in northern Gangwon-do (Province), Korea were examined for intestinal parasite infections. Along with nematodes such as hookworms and Syphacia spp., Plagiorchis muris (2 specimens) (Trematoda) were collected from striped field mice, Apodemus agrarius. In a Korean wood mouse, Apodemus peninsulae, the overall nematode infections were similar to A. agrarius, but an adult worm of Echinostoma hortense (Trematoda) was collected. In addition, 2 species of cestodes, i.e., Hymenolepis nana and Hymenolepis diminuta, were collected from A. agrarius. Through this survey, A. agrarius and A. peninsule were confirmed as the natural definite hosts for zoonotic intestinal helminths, i.e., P. muris, E. hortense, H. nana, and H. diminuta, in northern Gangwon-do, Korea. Considering increased leisure activities around these areas, seasonal and further comprehensive surveys on wild rodents seem to be needed to prevent zoonotic parasite infections.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.215-222
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• 1984

During February 1982 to September 1983, a total of 105 domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos var. domestica Linnaeus) were collected from Ichon Gun, Pusan City, Chunchon City, Yanggu Gun, Taejeon City and unknown areas in Korea. In the results, six trematode and one nematode species of helminth parasites were obtained and described as follows: Amphimerus anatis Yamaguti, 1933, Echinostoma miyagawai Ishii, 1932, Echinochasmus japonicus Tanabe, 1926, Cryptocotyle sp., Notocotylus attenuatus (Rudolphi, 1809) Kossack, 1911, Apatemon sp. and nematode species, Heterakis gallinarum Schrank, 1788. From this collection, Amphimerus anatis Yamaguti, 1933, Echinochasmus japonicus Tanabe, 1926, genus Cryptocotyle Liihe, 1899 and genus Apatemon Szidat, 1928 were firstly recorded in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.117-120
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• 2003

A human Echinostoma hortense infection was diagnosed by gastroduodenoscopy. An 81-year-old Korean male, living in Yeongcheon-shi, Gyeongsangbuk-do and with epigastric discomfort of several days duration, was subjected to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. He was in the habit of eating fresh water fish. Two live worms were found in the duodenal bulb area and were removed using an endoscopic forcep. Based on their morphological characteristics, the worms were identified as E. hortense. The patient was treated with praziquantel 10 mg/kg as a single dose. The source of the infection in this case remains unclear, but the fresh water fish consumed, including the loach, may have been the source. This is the second case of E. hortense infection diagnosed by endoscopy in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.230-235
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• 1985

The metacercariae of an echinostomatid fluke were detected from a freshwater 6sh, Odontobutis obscura interrupta caught from the Seom river system, Wonseong-gun, Kangwon-do, and experimentally infected into rats to obtain the adult worms for the species identification. A total of 32 metacercariae was detected from 10 fishes (27.8%) out of 36 O. obscura interrupta caught from the river. The average size of metacercariae was $153.4{\times}149.0{\;}{\mu}{\textrm{m}}$. Also, it was uniquely specific that thickened membrane was formed around the metacercarial cyst wall. The rats orally infected with those metacercariae were sacrificed 20 days after infection to get the adult worms. The mean length and width of the adult worms were 0.75 cm and 0.13 cm, respectively. The number of collar spines on circumoral disk was 26 to 28, and the end group spines at lateral sides of the oral sucker were 4 on each side. The echinostomatid flukes observed in this study were all identified as Echinostoma hortense according to the morphologies of the cirrus sac, ovary, vitellaria and testes of the adult worms and the shape of eggs. On the other hand, O. obscura interrupta is one of the fresh-water fish that are preferably eaten raw by the rural inhabitants. Although no human case of 5. hortense infection by eating O. obscura interrupta has been experienced yet, the possibility is strongly suggested in this study.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.139-143
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• 2000

Mucosal mast cell (MMC) responses and worm recovery rates in rats infected with Echinostona hortense were investigated from day 3 to day 56 post-infection (p.i.). Experimental infected group showed apparently higher number of MMC in each part of the small intestine than that of the control group. The number of MMC in the duodenum increased gradually after the infection and reached a peak on day 35 p.i. Thereafter, the number of MMC continued to decrease at a slow pace. The kinetics of MMC responses in the upper and lower jejunum were similar to that of the duodenum, but the number of MMC in the jejunum was lower. The worm recovery rate decreased with respect to time of which it was markedly reduced on day 49 and 56 p.i. The duration in which a high number of MMC appeared was similar to that in which a low rate in worm recovery was recorded . These results indicate dlat intestinal mastocytosis may play an important role in the expulsion of 5. hortense.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.99-106
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• 2013

In 2005, we reported the infection status of 438 stray cats with various species of intestinal helminths, including nematodes (4 species), trematodes (23 species), and cestodes (5 species) in the Republic of Korea. However, morphologic details of each helminth species have not been provided. In the present study, we intended to describe morphologic details of 13 trematode species which were either new fauna of cats (10 species) or new fauna of not only cats but also all animal hosts (3 species). The worms were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin under a cover slip pressure, stained with Semichon's acetocarmine, and then observed using a light microscope equipped with a micrometer. The 13 subjected species included members of the Heterophyidae (Stellantchasmus falcatus, Stictodora fuscata, Stictodora lari, Centrocestus armatus, Procerovum varium, and Cryptocotyle concava), Echinostomatidae (Echinostoma hortense, Echinostoma revolutum, Echinochasmus japonicus, and Stephanoprora sp.), Diplostomidae (Neodiplostomum seoulense), Plagiorchiidae (Plagiorchis muris), and Dicrocoeliidae (Eurytrema pancreaticum). By the present study, Cryptocotyle sp. and Neodiplostomum sp. recored in our previous study were identified as C. concava and N. seoulense, respectively. Three species, P. varium, C. concava, and Stephanoprora sp., are new trematode fauna in Korea.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2008

To examine the effect of the electrolyzed alkaline reduced water (ERW) on animal immunity, by employing Echinostoma hortense that is a parasite in the small intestine, the immune response of C57BL/6 was examined. To C57BL/6 mice, Echinostoma hortense metacercaria 15 per animal was in oculate dorsally, the worm was collected after 2 weeks, and the change of goblet cells and mast cells in the mucosa of small intestine was examined, and by using a protein chip, the change of cytokines in the serum was compared and observed. As a result, average 8.3 worms were collected from the C57BL/6 mice infected with E. hortense, and in the group fed with the ERW, average 10 worms were collected. In regard to the examination of the change of goblet cells, in the experimental group infected with E. hortense and fed with the ERW, average 4.3 worms per villus were detected, hence, it was found that the expression of goblet cells was low (p<0.001). Regarding the examination of the change of mast cells, similarly, in the group infected with E. hortense and fed with the ERW, average 11 worms per villus were detected, and it appears to be less than control group (p<0.001). Regarding the expression of cytokines in mouse serum, in comparison of the experiment group infected with E. hortense and control group, in the expression of the Th1 cytokines IL-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, IFN-${\gamma}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, and IL-2, and the Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13, a significant difference was not detected. In our study, it was found that in the infection of E. hortense, the ERW mediates its effect on the number of goblet cells and mast cells in the intestinal mucosa, and simultaneously, the worm expulsion was delayed, and thus the conclusion that the ERW mediated its effect on the intestinal immunity of mice was obtained.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.259-266
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• 2005

Mast cells and goblet cells have been known to protect the host against parasites. In this study, we examined the response of the mast cells and goblet cells over a period of 6 weeks in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 mice infected with Echinostoma hortense (E. hortense). In addition, we investigated whether the worm recovery rate of uninfected mice (the control group) or E. hortense-infected mice (the experimental group) was associated with the number of mast cells and goblet cells. The worm recovery rate was higher in the C3H/HeN mice than in the C57BL/6 mice. The number of goblet cells significantly increased in the experimental group of the C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 mice compared with the control group of both strains (P<0.005). Worm recovery peaked 3 weeks after the infection of the C57BL/6 mice and at 2 weeks after the infection of the C3H/HeN mice, and it was higher in the duodenum than in the jejunum and ileum. However, the infected site in the intestine had no relation with worm expulsion. In the C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 mice, the number of goblet cells in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.005). The number reached a peak 2 weeks after the infection and it even increased in duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The increased number of goblet cells was retained 6 weeks after infection. The number of goblet cells was higher in the C3H/HeN mice than in the C57BL/6 mice (P<0.01). These results indicate that goblet cells are related with the worm expulsion. Furthermore, immunohistostaining of the antral intestinal walls for lectin showed the significant increase of the number of goblet cells in the experimental group (P<0.001). The high infection rate in the duodenum was found during the early infection. An increased infection rate in the jejunum and ileum was found 3 weeks after infection and the infection rate was higher in the C3H/HeN mice than in the C57BL/6 mice. Taken together, the present study indicates that goblet cells, rather than mast cells, may play critical roles in parasite expulsion.