A survey of Brugia malayi infection on the Heugsan Islands, Korea.
Lymphatic filariasis due to Brugia malayi infection was endemic in several areas of South Korea. The infection was controlled, or disappeared, in most areas, with the exception of the remote southwestern islands of Jeonranam-do, including the Heugsan Islands. To discover its current situation, a small-scale survey was performed on the Heugsan Islands in September 2000. A total of 378 people, 151 male and 227 female, living in 8 villages (6 on Daeheugsan-do, 1 on Daejang-do, and 1 on Yeongsan-do) were subjected to a night blood survey for microfilaremia, and physical examination for elephantiasis on the extremities. There were 6 (1.6%) microfilaria positive cases, all in females aged 57-72 years, and from only two villages of the Daeheugsan-do area. There were 4 patients with lower leg elephantiasis, but they showed no microfilaremia. The results show that a low-grade endemicity of filariasis remains on the Daeheugsan-do.
Chai
Jong-Yil
JY
Department of Parasitology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul 110-799, Korea. cjy@plaza.snu.ac.kr
Lee
Soon-Hyung
SH
Choi
Sung-Yil
SY
Lee
Jong-Soo
JS
Yong
Tai-Soon
TS
Park
Kyun-Jong
KJ
Yang
Kyeong-Ae
KA
Lee
Keon-Hoon
KH
Park
Mi-Jeng
MJ
Park
Hyung-Ran
HR
Kim
Mi-Ja
MJ
Rim
Han-Jong
HJ
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D017178:Brugia malayi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence