title: A survey of Brugia malayi infection on the Heugsan Islands, Korea.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Jong-Yil
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Soon-Hyung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung-Yil
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jong-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tai-Soon
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Kyun-Jong
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kyeong-Ae
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Keon-Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mi-Jeng
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyung-Ran
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Mi-Ja
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Han-Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Rim
mesh_terms: 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