• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.303-309
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• 1999

Mass mortality of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum has been reported all along the west and south coast of Korea for the past several years. As a pathogenic agent, Perkinsus sp., an endoparasitic protozoan has been identified in this study and believed to be responsible for the mass mortalities. Prevalence and infection intensity of Perkinsus sp. was investigated from a Manila clam population inhabiting at Komsoe Bay in the west coast where mass mortality of the clam has been reported. A total of 142 Manila clam, 50 oyster, Crassostrea gigas, 10 ark shell, Scapharca broughtonii, and 5 predatory gastropada, Rapana venosa were examined for the presence and the quantity of Perkinsus sp. Ray's fluid thioglycollate medium method (FTM method) with modified Mackin's infection intensity scale and Choi's quantitative method were used in detecting and quantifying the parasite. All individuals of R. philippinarum examined in this study were infected with Perkinsus sp., indicating $100\%$ prevalence while none of the oysters and the gastropods exhibited the parasite. Six to ten individual hypnospores of Perkinsus sp. were counted from the ark shells. The number of hypnospores in the clam tissues varied from 16,667 to 4,091,667, with a mean number of 1,077,628. Average infection intensity according to Mackin's was 2.87, indicating a moderate infection. A negative correlation was observed between the number of Perkinsus sp. in the tissue and the condition index, a ratio tissue wet weight to shell cavity volume. The clam size and the infection intensity in terms of total number of parasites were positively correlated; the bigger clam, the heavier infection. Such high number of Perkinsus sp. counted in the clams could be enough to cause physiological disturbance of clams, such as retarded growth and reproduction. It is also believed that such a high infection leads mortality of the clam via continuous draining of the energy by metabolic activities and reproduction of the parasites. Correlation between the condition index and the infection intensity observed in this study supports this hypothesis.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2021

Parasitic infection is among the most common problems for carp cultivation. They are also important for the principal entrance of other hazardous infections as well. This study was carried out for determining of parasitic fauna of two major carp known as silver and grass carp with the comparison of prevalence value and intensity rate of parasites among them, alongside the relationship between the biometric characteristics and host sex with the infection level. For this purpose, a total of 94 fish samples were caught randomly using a fishing net, from Guilan ponds during spring and summer of the year 2018 and transported alive to the laboratory. Upon arriving, the biometric characteristics and genus of each carp were measured individually. Specimens were then acquired from the skin, gills, and eyes of the carp and examined according to standard parasitology methods. Recovered parasites were observed under a light microscope and then fixed for identification. As the result, the occurrence and intensity in the higher length group were comparatively greater than the lower one. Also, the prevalence and intensity of total parasites in male carp were higher than in females. In this research, Dactylogyrus hypophthalmichthys and Dactylogyrus aristhichtys were observed in silver carp and Dactylogyrus lamellatus was detected in grass carp. In the paper below, we found that the host specificity varies in different species of Dactylogyrus isolated from grass carp and silver carp.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.59-68
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• 1987

An epidemiological survey on Metagonimus yokogawai infection was performed in the eastern coast area of Kangwon province. Formalin-ether concentration technique and Stoll's dilution egg counting method were employed to figure out the prevalence and intensity of M. yokogawai infection and eating habits of inhabitants with raw freshwater fish. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The prevalence rate of M. yokogawai infection was 6.6% among a total of 2, 357 examinees; 8.6% (115 out of 1, 345) in male and 4.0% (40 out of 1, 012) in female. 2. The prevalence rates were different by the streams where the examinees were residing: 17.8% along the area of Ohsip-cheon (stream), 11.8% along Maeup-cheon, 1.7% along Hwasang-cheon, 1.3% along Yeongok-cheon, 0.9% along Namdae-cheon, 0.9% along Sa-cheon and 0% in the other streams (Yongchon-cheon, Kangnung Namdae-cheon and Jusoo.cheon) in decreasing order. 3. By social strata, the positive rate was 8.0% (122 out of 1, 521) in general inhabitants and 3.9% (33 out of 836) in school children. 4. By the intensity of infection by means of EPG counts in feces; the light infection (less than 400/EPG) was 74.1%, moderate infection (401-1, 000/EPG) 17.3% and heavy infection (more than 1, 001/EPG) 8.6%. 5. Twelves out of 50 sweetfish (Plecoglossus altivelis) (24%) caught from the streams in eastern coast of Kangwon-Do were infected with metacercariae of M. yokogawai, and the number of larvae detected were 70.7 per 6sh in average. The metacercarial infection rates in fish were also different by the streams; 100% in Ohsip-cheon of Samcheok-Gun, 14.3% in Sa-cheon, 16.7% in Yeongokcheon of Myeongju-Gun and 0% in Namdae-cheon of Yangyang-Gun, respectively. 6. Six hundred ninety live (695) out of 1, 396 inhabitants and school children (49.8%) were experienced in eating raw freshwater fishes (Plecoglossus altivezis, Triboledon hakonensis, Coreoperca sp., Morose sp., Carassius sp. & Cyprinus sp. and Zacco platypus). The data were assayed with the questionnaire collected from the examinees. In summarizing the above results, it is known that the Ohsip-cheon area of Samcheok-Gun is highly infected region, and the other areas of Kangnung Namdae-cheon, Yeongok-cheon and Yangyang Namdae-cheon are very lowly infected or non-infected regions for M yokogawai infection.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 1979

In order to evaluate the present status of hook-worm infection in the rural areas in Korea, stool examinations were undertaken in several selected rural villages in each year of 1970 and 1977. The methods employed were cellophane thick smear technique and brine floatation technique in 3,454 specimens collected from 7 different rural villages for the prevalence rate of hookworm infection and Stoll's dilution egg counting technique for the intensity of hookworm infection. The incidences of Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus infections were determind by polyethylene tube coproculture and by the evacuated adult worms after treatment with anthelmintics to the patients who were infected by hookworms. The results are as follows : 1) In 1970, 323(18.6%) out of 1,737 specimens collected from 4 different rural areas were positive for hook worm infection and the ranges of prevalence rates in those suveyed areas were shown as 6.9 to 38.2 per cent. On the other hand, 144(8.2%) out of 1,717 specimens collected from 3 different rural areas in 1977 were shown as positive for hookworm infection and 7.5 to 10.6 per cent of prvalence rates were shown in the surveyed areas. 2) In the age group under 10 years, there was no infection of hookworm in the studied areas in 1977, however in 1970 the prevalence of the hookworm infection was shown as very low in the age group of 5~9. On the whole, the hookworm prevalence steadily increased from the age of 15 in the studied areas in 1970, however in 1977 the prevalence increased from the age of 20 to the older age groups. 3) There was not observed much differences in the intensity of hookworm infection among the studied areas in 1970 and 1977. The mean EPG in each studied areas were shown under 1,000 EPG and mean numbers of evacuated worms per infected persons were counted as 9.4 to 15. 1. 4) Both A.duodenale and N.americanus have been found in all studied areas but the incidences and st-ate of distribution of two species of hookworn were shown as different in each localities.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 2001

The apicomplexan parasite, Perkinsus sp., has been reported as a causative pathogen responsible for the mass mortality of the Manila clams, Ruditapes philippinarum in European countries as well as in Korea. Prevalence, infection intensity, histopathologic features and zoosporulation of Perkinsus found in the Manila clams distributed along the coast of Cheju Island were investigated in this study. Clams were collected from nine different beaches along the Cheju Island from May to July in 2000. Ray's Fluid Thioglycollate Medium (RFTM) and Choi's NaOH lysis methods were applied in the diagnosis and quantification of the Perkinsus infection. Prevalence, percentage infection of the parasite examined was 100% in Pyosun, 70% in Sungsan, 63% in Kumneong, 33% in Jongdalri, 21% in Iho, 17% in Moslpo, and 14% in Seogwipo. No Perkinsus was found in the clams collected from Kimnyong and Yongmeo-ri. Infection intensity as a number of Perkinsus cells per gram tissue wet weight (twwt), was 98,430 cells/g twwt in Pyosun, 78,553 cells/g twwt in Sungsan, 18,980 cells/g twwt in Kumneong, 4,290 cells/g twwt in Jongdalri, 1,527 cells/g twwt in Iho, 1,069 cells/g twwt in Moslpo, and 853 cells/g twwt in Seogwipo. Histological preparation of the infected tissues revealed trophozoites of Perkinsus sp., ranged from 5 to 10 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, in diameter mostly distributed in the digestive gland and the gill filaments. Zoospores were discharged from the hypnospore via discharging tube about 2 days after incubated in filtered and aerated seawater. In general, the prevalence and infection intensity of Perkinsus in Cheju Island were much lower than that reported from the western and southern coast of Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.263-274
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• 1988

Recent patterns of infection with digenetic larval trematodes in fresh- water and brackish-water ask were studied in three locations of the river Taewha during the period from April to October, 1988, and compared with the data reported previously in the same river, 0(16 species of fish examined, the encysted larvae of Cyathocotyle orientalis were found most frequently from 9 species of fresh.water fish. The metacercariae of Echinochasmus sp. , Metacercaria hasegawai and Metagonimus yokogawai were found from 8 species, those of Clonorchis sinensis from 7 species, and Exorchis oviformis and Metorchis orientalis from 5 species of fish. The infection rates of fish with C. sinensis metacercariae were not lower than those reported in 1980, whereas their intensity of infection was found lowered in 3 species, Ccreobagrus brevicorpus, Gnathopogon atromaculatus, and Funtungia herzi. The infection rates of 3 species of fish with M. yokogawai metacercariae were lower than the results in 1982, while the rate was higher in 2 species, Zacco platypus, and Z. temmincki, and rather stationary in Flecoglossus altivelis. The intensity of infection in several species of fish appeared rather higher than in 1980. The encysted larvae of C. orientalis, Echinochasmus sp., E. oviformis and Metacercaria hasegawai showed variations in infection rates of fish in 1980 and in the present study. It was found that the rate of infection with digenetic larval trematodes in fresh- water fish was still relatively high in the river Taewha, and the metacercarial burden in the fish varied greatly by different fish in 1980 and in the present study.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 1988

In an attempt to determine the susceptibility of inbred golden hamsters(Mesocricetus auratus) to the experimental infection with Clonorchis sinensis, twenty-five hamsters were divided into 5 groups and administered orally 5, 10, 20, 30 or 50 metacercariae each. The hamsters were killed on the 45th day after infection. The adult flukes were recovered from all hamsters. The overall recovery rate for the fluke was 57.9% with the range of 48.4% to 92.0%. As the number of the metacercariae given increased, a porportionate decrease in the recovery rate was found, the prepatent period of the fluke in the hamster varied from 15 to 17 days, with the average of 16 days. No significant differences in the development of the flukes were observed. Egg production expressed by EPG, increased step by step as the time elapsed. However, a tendency of decreasing egg laying capacity was observed with the increase of worm burden. It is suggested that the hamster is a suitable final host of C. sinensis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.332-337
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• 2023

Infestations of parasites, particularly those caused by copepods and monogeneans, are a major hindrance to aquaculture and have a big negative economic impact. Sebastes schlegelii, a farmed Korean rockfish, is particularly prone to copepods and monogeneans. This study comprehended how parasitic copepods and rockfish from a farm in Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, are related to the monogenean trematode Microcotyle sebastis. Our research revealed that monogeneans predominated, with a rate of 98.4% and an average infection intensity of 7 per infected fish. With an average infection intensity of 4 per sick fish, the infection rate for parasitic copepods was equally considerable, coming in at 91.7%. The high co-infection rate of both parasite families, at 90.8%, is noteworthy. Furthermore, Lepeophtheirus elegans and Peniculus truncatus, 2 parasitic copepod species, were discovered to have M. sebastis eggs attached to their bodies. This demonstrates a connection between parasitic copepod infestations in farmed Korean rockfish and the monogenean trematode M. sebastis. These discoveries highlight the necessity for creating more potent parasite control methods for the aquaculture sector and shed light on the intricate relationships between various parasite species.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.44-65
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• 1983

As a part of the epidemiological studies of clonorchiasis, this study was conducted to evaluate the current endemicity and the natural transition of the Clonorchis infection in Gimhae Gun and delta area a high endemic area in Korea in recent years, prior to the introduction of praziquantel which will eventually influence the status of the prevalence. The data obtained in this study in 1983 were evaluated for natural transition of the infection in comparison with those obtained 16 years ago in 1967 by the author(Kim, 1974). The areas of investigation, villages and schools surveyed, methods and techniques used in this study were the same as in 1967, except for the contents of the questionnaire for raw freshwater fish consumption by the local inhabitants. 1) The prevalence rate of clonorchiasis in the general population of the villages was 48.1% on the average out of a total of 484 persons examined. The average of those of the riverside-delta area was 65.2% and 43.0% in the inland area. Among the schoolchildren, the prevalence rate was 8.2% on the average out of a total of 1,423 examined. By area, the prevalence rate was 10.8% in the riverside delta area and 2.8% in the inland area. By sex, difference in the prevalence was seen only in the inhabitants of the inland area showing 52.4% in the male and 33.5% in the female. 2) In the natural transition of the infection, the prevalence rate among the inhabitants has decreased from 68.8% in 1967 to 48.1% in 1983, and in the schoolchildren from 56.4% in 1967 to 8.2% in 1983. The reduction rate was higher in the riverside-delta area than in the inland area. 3) In the prevalence rate by age, 11.9% was first seen in the 5-9 age group and the rate gradually increased up to 75.0% in the 50-59 age group. By sex, the rate was higher in the male than in the female in the 20-29 age group and over. 4) In the natural transition of the prevalence rate by age, the reduction rate of the infection during the past 16 years was greater in the younger age groups up to the 40-49 age group and reached the same level in the age group 50-59. Reduction was seen again in the age group over 60s. By sex, the reduction rate was greater in the female than in the male in the 20-29 age group and over. By area, the reduction rate was greater in the riverside delta area than in the inland area, particularly in the young age groups. 5) In the intensity of the infection among the cases, the mean egg out-put per mg feces per infected cases(EPmg) in the inhabitants was 6.3. EPmg of those of the river-side-delta area was 15.4 and that of the in-land was 2.8. On the other hand, in the schoolchildren, EPmg was 3.2, and no difference was seen between the two areas, the river-side-delta area and the inland area. 6) In the transition of the intensity of the infection by area, EPmg among the inhabitants inexplically increased from 7.8 in 1967 to 15.4 in 1983. This was probably caused by uneven specimen collection in the process of sampling the population. EPmg of the inhabitants in the inland area and those of the schoolchildren of both riverside delta and inland areas showed a similar decrease in the past 16 years. 7) The intensity of the infection by age showed a relatively low level in the 20-29 age group and below, and EPmg 5.1-9.5 was seen in the 30-39 age group and over. Sex, Epmg was 5.8 in the male and 4.7 the female. By in 8) In the transition of the intensity of the infection, EPmg decreased from 6.2 in 1967 to 5.4 in 1983. By age, in contrast to the figures of 1967 in which EPmg gradually increased with some fluctuation from 1.1 in the 0-4 age group to peak 10.5 in the 50-59 age group, in 1983 lower intensity of the infection was seen in the age group from 10-14 to 20-29 with the EPmg range of 0.6-2.7. 9) In the distribution of the clonorchiasis cases by the range of EPmg value, 43.2% of the cases were in 0.1 0.9 and 34.6% in 1.0-4.9. As a whole by cumulative percent, 44.6% of them were under 0.9 as light infection and 86.1% of them under 9.9 up to moderate infection. By sex, no difference was seen in Epmg. 10) In the transition of the distribution by the range of Epmg, the cases were distributed up to the range 80.0-99.9 in 1967 and to 60.0-79.9 in 1983. By cumulative percent, in the range of 0.1-0.9 and less, light infection, 34.3% of them were distributed in 1967 and 44.6% in 1983 with about 10% increase. In the range of 5.0-9.9 and less, up to moderate infection, 83.2% in 1967 and 86.1% in 1983 of the cases were seen, respectively. 11) The practice of raw freshwater fish consumption among the inhabitants seems to have decreased in recent years. Those who admitted to raw freshwater fish consumption in the last two years among the infected inhabitants were 59.3%, although 86.8% of them professed to have experience with raw freshwater fish consumption. 31.7% of those who have had experience of the raw freshwater fish consumption denied any further consumption in recent years. From an interview of 543 school-children, 24.1% of them admitted to an experience of raw freshwater fish consumption. However, those who have practised in the past two years comprized 17.9%. Those who denied raw freshwater fish consumption in recent years among those who had such experience were 26.0% out of 131 interviewed. The rate of raw freshwater fish consumption in both inhabitants and schoolchildren were higher in the male than in the female. On the contrary, the rate of those who did not practise in recent years among those who had experience of raw freshwater fish consumption was higher in the female than in the male. 12) The major reason for the reduction of raw freshwater fish consumption among the local inhabitants was the risk of the fluke infection. However, it has become apparent that such change of taste has resulted from water pollution impact which has affected throughout the areas of the freshwater systems in this locality since last several years. 13) In animal survey, Clonorchis infection was seen in 14.8% of 88 dogs examined and 3.7% of 27 house rats examined. It was noted that populations of dogs and cats have increased in the villages surveyed. Although the prevalence rate was lower in the present survey than those of 1967, the significance of the animals as the reservoir host has not changed. 14) Prevalence rate of Clonorchis infection by cercariae in the first intermediate host, Parafossarulus manchouricus, was 0.6% out of 517 snails examined. The infection rate was lower in comparison with 2.3% out of 2,124 examined in 1967. Moreover, sharp decreases in number and distribution of the intermediate host snails in many watershed areas of the huge freshwater systems in this locality seemed to reduce transmission of Clonorchis in connection with the intermediate host stage of its life cycle. 15) Clonorchis infection in the second intermediate fish hosts was relatively low. The mean number of Clonorchis metacercaria per fish in Pseudorasbora parva was 517 in 1983, whereas it was 1943 in 1968 through 1969. Environmental water pollution has also caused the decreased fish population density in these areas, and this has also apparently affected to the practice of raw freshwater fish consumption among the local inhabitants. 16) In conclusion, endemicity of Clonorchis infection in Gimhae Gum and delta area of the Nagdong River has sharply decreased during the past 16 years. The major cause of the regressive transition of the infection was the water pollution of the land water systems of this locality. The pollution has upset the ecosystems comprizing of the intermediate hosts of Clonorchis in many areas, and also affected to a significant extent to the discontinuance of the local inhabitants for raw freshwater fish consumption.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.42-44
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• 2003

The study of the gill infection of rockfishes, Sebastes spp. by monogenetic trematodes conducted during March 2002 to June 2002 are presented. Three species are reported krom examination of 23 rockfishes collected from Oregon Coast Aquarium and Newport fish market, Oregon. Ten rockishes belonging to three species showed an infection rate of 43.5%. A total of 135 monogenetic trematodes was found in the gills of Sebastes spp. Of 135 worms recovered from the gills of 4 harbor rockfishes, two were Sebastes maliger, 14 S. melanops, 110 S. pinniger, and 9 S. crameri. Prevalence and intensity in Microcotyle seba.fis were 11.9％ and 4.0, and for Trochopus trituba they were 81.5% and 55.0, and for Trochopus australis, they were 6.7% and 2.3, respectively. These worms are mainly found firmly attached to the primary lamellae of the gills of the rockfishes.