• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.45 no.2 s.142
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• pp.115-120
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• 2007

Parvatrema chaii n. sp. (Digenea: Gymnophallidae) is described using the worms recovered from experimentally infected mice in Korea. The metacercariae were collected from surf-clams, Mactra veneriformis, from a tidal flat in Sochon-gun, Chungchongnam-do. The metacercariae were elliptical ($0.262{\times}0.132 mm$), and the genital pore had an anterior arch of 16-17 sensory papillae in scanning electron microscopic view, Adult worms were ovoid to foliate (0.275-0.303 by 0.140-0.150 mm), and their characteristic features included the presence of lateral lips, short esophagus, genital pore located some distance anterior to the ventral sucker, club-shaped seminal vesicle, a compact to slightly lobed vitellarium, elliptical eggs (0.018-0.020 by 0.010-0.013 mm), and absence of the ventral pit. This gymnophallid is classified as a member of the genus Parvatrema because of the location of the wide genital pore some distance from the ventral sucker, and the absence of the ventral pit. It differs from previously reported Parvatrema species, including the type species, P. borinquenae. In particular, the morphologies of the vitellarium and the genital pore with an anterior arch of 16-17 sensory papillae are unique features. Therefore, we propose it as a new species, Parvatrema chaii n. sp. (Digenea: Gymnophallidae).

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.399-408
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• 2017

A survey was performed to know the recent infection status of digenetic trematode metacercariae in clams and oysters from 4 sites in western coastal regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea). Four species of clams (Mactra veneriformis, Ruditapes philippinarum, Cyclina sinensis, and Saxidomus purpuratus) were collected from Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (Province), Buan-gun (County) and Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do, and oysters, Crassostrea gigas, from Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do were transferred to our laboratory on ice and examined by the artificial digestion method. The metacercariae of Himasthla alincia were detected in 3 species of clams, M. veneriformis, R. philippinarum, and C. sinensis from the 3 surveyed areas. The positive rate and the mean density per clam infected were 98.9% (30.8 metacercariae) in M. veneriformis, 60.0% (5.0) in R. philippinarum, and 96.0% (28.4) in C. sinensis. The positive rate (mean density) of Acanthoparyphium tyosenense metacercariae in M. veneriformis was 50.0% (2.1) from Taean-gun and 70.0% (2.8) from Gochang-gun. The metacercariae of Parvatrema spp. were detected in M. veneriformis and R. philippinarum from Taean-gun and Gochang-gun; the positive rate (mean density) was 63.3% (4,123) and 50.0% (19) in M. veneriformis, and 6.7% (126) and 100% (238) in R. philippinarum from the 2 regions, respectively. The metacercariae of Gymnophalloides seoi were detected in all 30 oysters from Shinan-gun, and their average density per oyster was 646. From the above results, it has been confirmed that more than 3 species of metacercariae are prevalent in clams from the western coastal regions, and G. seoi metacercariae are still prevalent in oysters from Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.457-460
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• 2011

Adults of Maritrema obstipum (Digenea: Microphallidae) were found in the intestines of 4 species of migratory birds, including the sanderling (Crocethia alba), Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrines), Mongolian plover (Charadrius mongolus), and red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis), collected from Yubu Island, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. The worms of were $451{\times}265{\mu}m$ in size, and were easily identifiable as Maritrema species by the presence of the cirrus sac, and the ring-like distribution of the vitellaria. More specifically, the ejaculatory duct curved posteromedially, and the 2 parts of vitelline follicles were found to be distinct at the posterior end. The eggs were brown-colored, and $19.8{\times}12.3{\mu}m$ in size. All these findings implicated M. obstipum as the pertinent species of the worms. Beside these, adult worms of Gynaecotyla squatarolae, Parvatrema duboisi, and Acanthoparyphium sp. were also discovered. This is the first report establishing migratory birds as the natural definitive hosts for M. obstipum.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2012

To determine the status of Korean molluscs infection and relation with climate change of Korean peninsula, references were reviewed. Wild animals serve as intermediate, reservoirs and paratenic hosts to zoonotic parasites of human beings. Trematode are common parasites of molluscs and almost all trematodes infect mollusks as the first host in the life cycle, and most have a complex life cycle involving other hosts. The significance of auxiliary hosts to the ecology of the parasite has not been proper discussion. There is increasing concern as to the impact of climate change on the epidermiology of many parasitic diseases. A total of 21 species for snail transmitted parasites from Korean molluscs has been reviewed. Among them, 15 species was aquatic mollusks and 6 species for marine mollusks. Maximum infections belonged to Semisulcospira livertina had 11 kind of parasite pathogenic organisms, including Paragonimus westermani, Metagonimus yokogawai, Centrocestus armatus, Notocotylus magniovatus, Centrocestus formosanus, incerte cercaria, nipponensis cercaria, Yoshidae cercaria, cristata cercaria, innominatum cercaria and Metagonimus sp. And 11 in Parafossarulus manchouricus including Clonorchis sinensis, Asymphylodora japonica, Cyathocotyle orientalis, Exorchis oviformis, Notocotylus attenuatus, Echinochasmus japonicus, Loxogenes liberum, Cercariae of Loxogenes liberum Type I, Cercariae of Loxogenes liberum Type II, Furcocercus cercariae (Family Sanguincolidae) and Cercaria of Mucobucaris, 10 in Semisulcospira sp. including Paragonimus westermani, Metagonimus yokogawai, Centrocestus armatus, Echinochasmus redioduplicatus, Notocotylus magniovatus, Cercaria incerte, Cercaria nipponensis, Cercaria yoshidae, paludinarum cercaria and Metagonimus sp., 7 in Koreanomelania globus including Pseudexorchis major, Cercaria of parapleurolophocercous type, Metagonimus sp. (A & B), Cercaria nipponensis, Cercaria inserta and Cercaria yoshidae. Also, Tapes philippinarum have 3 pathogenic organisms including Cercariae tapidis, Cercariae furcocercus and Parvatrema sp. In particular, under climatic extremes such as floods and drought, aquatic molluscs may play a more prominent role in parasite transmission in the future.