Intestinal trematodes of humans in Korea: Metagonimus, heterophyids and echinostomes

Abstract

Ten species of the trematode family Heterophyidae (Metagonimus yokogawai, M. takahashii, Heterophyes nocens, H. heterophyes, H. dispar, Heterophyopsis continua, Pygidiopsis summa, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Centrocestus armatus and Stictodora fuscatum), and 3 species of the family Echinostomatidae (Echinostoma hortense, E. cinetorchis and Echinochasmus japonicus) have been found to infect humans in Korea. Biological and epidemiological studies on the above species have shown that Metagonimus, heterophyids and echinostomes are all prevalent indigenously in Korea except H. heterophyes and H. dispar, of which the human cases were infected when they came to the Middle East. Various kinds of fish have been proven to be the source of human infection with these flukes. For example, fresh water fish such as the sweetfish, carp, loach, etc., were found to carry the metacercarial stage of M. yokogawai, M. takahashii, C. armatus, E. hortense, E. cinetorchis and/or E. japonicus. Brackish water fish such as the mullet, perch and goby, were verified to be the second intermediate host of H. nocens, H. continua, P. summa, S. falcatus and/or S. fuscatum. Among the intestinal flukes, M. yokogawai is the most prevalent species in Korea.