Plagiorchis muris infection in Apodemus agrarius from northern Gyeonggi-do (Province) near the demilitarized zone.
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.
Chai
Jong Yil
JY
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
Park
Jae Hwan
JH
Guk
Sang Mee
SM
Kim
Jae Lip
JL
Kim
Hyo Jin
HJ
Kim
Won Hee
WH
Shin
Eun Hee
EH
Klein
Terry A
TA
Kim
Heung Chul
HC
Chong
Sung Tae
ST
Song
Jin Won
JW
Baek
Luck Ju
LJ
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*