title: Plagiorchis muris infection in Apodemus agrarius from northern Gyeonggi-do (Province) near the demilitarized zone.
abstract: The small intestines of 6 species of rodents and 1 species of insectivore were examined seasonally for Plagiorchis muris infection in 3 different localities in northern Gyeonggi-do (Province), near the demilitarized zone (DMZ). A total of 1,496 animals, including 1,366 Apodemus agrarius, 54 Crocidura lasiura (insectivore), 32 Mus musculus, 28 Micronytus fortis, 9 Eothenomys regulus, 6 Micronys minutus, and 3 Cricetulus triton, were live-trapped at Yeoncheon-gun (n = 351), Paju-shi (804) and Pocheon-gun (343) at 3-mo intervals from December 2004 to September 2005. A total of 1,647 P. muris were collected from 72 (5.3%) A. agrarius. The infection rate was the highest in Pocheon-gun (8.2%), followed by Yeoncheon-gun (5.0%) and Paju-shi (4.2%). A higher infection rate was observed in A. agrarius captured during September (19.4%) than those captured during December (3.0%), June (2.6%), or April (0%). However, the worm burden was the highest in June (av. 32.1/animal), followed by September (24.7), December (4.0), and April (0). None of the other animal species were found infected with P. muris. The results reveal that A. agrarius is a natural definitive host for P. muris, and infection rates and worm burdens vary seasonally and geographically.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul 110-799, Korea. cjy@snu.ac.kr
authors.forename: Jong Yil
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Jae Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sang Mee
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Guk
authors.forename: Jae Lip
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyo Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won Hee
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Terry A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Heung Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Jin Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Luck Ju
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Baek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000469:parasitology; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus / Q000469:parasitology; D007312:Eulipotyphla / Q000469:parasitology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000469:parasitology; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D051379:Mice / Q000469:parasitology; D051189:Murinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D012377:Rodentia; D012621:Seasons; D014200:Trematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*