title: Haplorchis infections in intermediate hosts from a clonorchiasis endemic area in Meinung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
abstract: Snails and freshwater fish were examined from four ponds in the Meinung township in which Clonorchis sinensis was known to be endemic 18 years ago. No metacercariae were found in 478 Tilapia nilotica, whereas of 451 Ctenopharyngodon idellus examined, 16.2%, 3.3% and 0.9% were found to be infected with Haplorchis pumilio, H. taichui and Clonorchis sinensis, respectively. In addition, there were some unidentified metacercariae in 12.0% of Ctenopharyngodon idellus examined. Overall, no positive correlation between infection rates and sizes of infected fish was shown. Six species of snails were collected in this survey and two frequently-occurring snails, Melanoides tuberculata and Thiara granifera were commonly infected with H. pumilio. Reasons for the prevalence of Haplorchis species and the absence of Clonorchis sinensis in fish and snail hosts in a previously reported endemic area for human clonorchiasis are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jiun-Jye
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lee-Yii
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: June-Der
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eddy-Essen
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Eng-Rin
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Chuan-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003003:Clonorchiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D005399:Fishes / Q000469:parasitology; D005618:Fresh Water; D006578:Heterophyidae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*