• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.177-180
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• 2002

Gangweon-do is known to be highly endemic area of sparganosis more than other provinces in Korea. A seroepidmiologic examination for the detection of anti-Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid IgG in serum was carried out in normal inhabitants in Hongcheon-gun, Gangweon-do. Sere were tested by enzyme-linked immunosrobent assay (ELISA) for the anti-sparganum antibodies. Positive rate for anti-sparganum antibody in 719 adults was 3.3%. Data of the questionnaire for 24 ELISA positive inhabitants revealed that 20 had a history of eating raw meat of snakes, 24 had a history of eating frogs, and 24 had a history of drinking stream water. Two positive cases had a past history of sparganosis. Two positive cases showed current symptoms of sparganosis. The data revealed that ELISA would be useful to find infected cases among normal inhabitants at sparganosis-endemic areas.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2019

Sparganosis is a parasitic infestation caused by sparganum, a plerocercoid tapeworm larva of the genus Spirometra. Since the first case of human sparganosis reported in 1908, sparganosis has been a global disease, and is common in China, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries. Consumption of raw snakes, frogs, fish, or drinking contaminated beverages are sources of human infections. Human sparganosis usually manifests in subcutaneous fat in areas such as the abdomen, genitourinary tract, and limbs. Breast sparganosis cases are rare, representing less than 2% of total cases of human infections. Complete surgical extraction of the sparganum is the treatment of choice. Because of the rarity of the disease, clinical suspicion is vital to reach the diagnosis of breast sparganosis. Here we report 2 rare cases of breast sparganosis presenting with a painless breast lump, both treated with surgical excision and sparganum extraction.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.259-267
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• 2020

Snakebite is a severe medical, economic, and social problem across the world, mostly in the tropical and subtropical area. These regions of the globe have typical of the world's venomous snakes present where access to prompt treatment is limited or not available. Snake venom is a complex mixture of toxin proteins like neurotoxin and cardiotoxin, and other enzymes like phospholipase A2 (PLA2), haemorrhaging, transaminase, hyaluronidase, phosphodiesterase, acetylcholinesterase, cytolytic and necrotic toxins. Snake venom shows a wide range of biological effects like anticoagulation or platelet aggregation, hemolysis, hypotension and edema. Phospholipase A2 is the principal constituent of snake venom; it catalyzes the hydrolysis of the sn-2 position of membrane glycerophospholipids to liberate arachidonic acid, which is the precursor of eicosanoids including prostaglandins and leukotrienes. The information regarding the structure and function of the phospholipase A2 enzyme may help in treating the snakebite victims. This review article constitutes a brief description of the structure, types, mechanism occurrence, and tests of phospholipase A2 and role of components of medicinal plants used to inhibit phospholipase A2.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.81.1-81.10
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• 2022

Background: Snakebites remain a devastating and life-threatening environmental hazard. While the management of snakebites has been well described in humans, few clinical data and guidelines exist for dogs, especially in Korea. Objectives: This retrospective study evaluated the clinical features of 70 dogs with snakebite wounds in Korea. Methods: The medical records of 72 dogs that presented to three animal hospitals from June 2008 to July 2021 were reviewed; among these, 70 dogs that met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Their signalment, history, clinical signs, physical examination, blood analysis, treatment, and prognosis were also evaluated. Results: Of 70 dog owners, 35 (50%) witnessed the bite, with a mean time between bite and hospital presentation of 9.7 ± 4.1 h in 58 dogs. Blood smears were evaluated in 45 dogs, of which 28 (62%) showed echinocytosis. Anemia and acute kidney injury were found in 21 (29%) and 2 dogs (3%), respectively. A total of 37 dogs (53%) were hospitalized, 5 (7%) of which died. Conclusions: The most significant finding was the high prevalence of echinocytosis. The data from this retrospective study could inform the management of dogs bitten by snakes in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.217-220
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• 2018

A female Russian rat snake, Elaphe schrenckii, was presented for loss of movement. Physical examination showed the swelling in the area of heart. Radiographic examination revealed cardiomegaly, pericardial effusion, and a soft opacity in the area of swelling. Although pericardiocentesis to remove fluid out from the heart as well as vigorous treatments were given to the Russian rat snake, it died during treatments. Postmortem examination confirmed pericardial effusion of pale yellow, translucent fluid with mild dilation of the right atrium and ventricle. Formalin -fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections were stained with routine H&E and the classical von Kossa's method for histopathological demonstration. Histopathological examination revealed multifocal calcification in myocardium and consists of the displacement of muscular fiber by limy deposits. Congestive heart failure was suspicious for the snake when it was alive. In wild reptiles, muscle degeneration has been reported with nutrition disorders but the present case is the first report of myocardial degeneration in a Russian rat snake and contributes to the rare reports of cardiac disease in snakes.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.241-244
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• 2011

Sparganosis is a rare parasitic infection affecting various organs, including the central nervous system, especially the lumbar epidural space. This report describes the identification of disease and different strategies of treatments with preoperative information. A 42-year-old man presented with a 2-year history of urinary incontinence and impotence. He had a history of ingesting raw frogs 40 years ago. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed an intramedullary nodular mass at conus medullaris and severe inflammation in the cauda equina. A 51-year-old woman was admitted with acute pain in the left inguinal area. We observed a lesion which seemed to be a tumor of the lumbar epidural space on MR imaging. She also had a history of ingesting inadequately cooked snakes 10 years ago. In the first patient, mass removal was attempted through laminectomy and parasite infection was identified during intra-operative frozen biopsy. Total removal could not be performed because of severe arachnoiditis and adhesion. We therefore decided to terminate the operation and final histology confirmed dead sparganum infection. We also concluded further surgical trial for total removal of the dead worm and inflammatory grannulation totally. However, after seeing another physician at different hospital, he was operated again which resulted in worsening of pain and neurological deficit. In the second patient, we totally removed dorsal epidural mass. Final histology and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) confirmed living sparganum infection and her pain disappeared. Although the treatment of choice is surgical resection of living sparganum with inflammation, the attempt to remove dead worm and adhesive granulation tissue may cause unwanted complications to the patients. Therefore, the result of preoperative ELISA, as well as the information from image and history, must be considered as important factors to decide whether a surgery is necessary or not.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.61-65
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• 1984

A mass fecal examination was performed in Seoul, Korea from December 1983 to March 1984 and 15 egg positive cases of Fibricola seoulensis were discovered. They were treated with praziquantel($Distocide{\circledR}$) 20mg/kg single dose and magnesium salt for purgation. The adult worms of F. seoulensis were collected from 6 of them. The number of the flukes ranged 1-78 by the case. The cases had no clinical manifestation at all. They were all Korean males in twenties, and had the histories of eating the roast or raw snakes or frogs. Fibricoliasis is expected to be prevalent among the snake-eaters in Korea. Further cases will be detected by sedulous differentiation of thinshelled immature operculated eggs of 0.08~0.102mmn length. Praziquantel seems to be an excellent chemotherapeutic for fibricoliasis.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.13-27
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• 2000

The background of single animal figures was originated from those northern mounted nomadic groups, which was Scythe style Culture. The art of the nomads working in the Scythian idiom was small in size and essentially decorative in intention, yet practically every object which can be associated with any unit in this group of people possesses many of the attributes essential to a real work of art. Clarity of conception, purity of form, co-ordination of rhythm and balance, and not least, an understanding and respect for the material employed were triumphantly blended by the Eurasian nomads to produce a distinctive style. In Scythian art the multitude of animal representations well illustrates the reoccupation of this nomadic people with animals in their environment. Usually only wild animals are represented. Commonly depicted are: stags and deer, lions or other large cats, eagles, birds heads (perhaps of ravens), griffins, snakes, hares, fish, goats, rams, boars, moose (elk), yak, sheep and bears. The occasional exception to the wild animal rule is domesticated horses-important because the Scythians were horse bleeders and their whole culture revolved around their dependence on the horse. The nomads had little reason to create object in honour of gods or men, but they had an instinct for beauty and the wish to surround themselves with the animal forms in which they had come to delight The Scytians tried to combine in a single rendering all the salient points of the animal they were delineating. They archived considerable success in the difficult task of showing in a single image the various and often incompatible poses assumed by a single animal in the course of its life. Zoomorphic motifs were used not simple for decorative effect, but to trim the object into amulets, with magical power to assist in hunting, and to protect the owner from harm.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.88-92
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to report the group mating of Asian Keelback snake, Hebius vibakari, in South Korea. On May 20, 2009, the group mating of H. vibakari was observed in the Maeng-gol do, Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do, in the rocky area (107 m above sea level) on the ridge of the island. Six female and five male snakes made a form of mating behavior called "mating ball". Two couples showed "tail-wrestling" which is the copulation behavior in snake species. During the mating, the temperature and humidity were $25.7^{\circ}C$ and 59%, respectively. The result of this study was the first case report of the group mating in H. vibakari, a rare reptile.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 2012

$Neodiplostomum$ $seoulense$ (Digenea: Neodiplostomidae) is an intestinal trematode that can cause severe mucosal pathology in the small intestines of mice and even mortality of the infected mice within 28 days after infection. We observed neuronal growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) expression in the myenteric plexus of the small intestinal wall of $N.$ $seoulense$-infected mice until day 35 post-infection (PI). BALB/c mice were infected with 200 or 500 $N.$ $seoulense$ metacercariae isolated from naturally infected snakes and were killed every 7 days for immunohistochemical demonstration of GAP-43 in the small intestines. $N.$ $seoulense$-infected mice showed remarkable dilatation of intestinal loops compared with control mice through days 7-28 PI. Conversely, GAP-43 expression in the mucosal myenteric plexus was markedly ($P$<0.05) reduced in the small intestines of $N.$ $seoulense$-infected mice during days 7-28 PI and was slightly normalized at day 35 PI. From this study, it is evident that neuronal damage occurs in the intestinal mucosa of $N.$ $seoulense$-infected mice. However, the correlation between intestinal pathology, including the loop dilatation, and depressed GAP-43 expression remains to be elucidated.