title: Correlation between discharged worms and fecal egg counts in human clonorchiasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stool examination by counting eggs per gram of feces (EPGs) is the best method to estimate worm burden of Clonorchis sinensis in infected humans. The present study investigated a correlation between EPGs and worm burden in human clonorchiasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 60 residents, 50 egg-positive and 10 egg-negative, in Sancheong-gun, Korea, participated in this worm collection trial in 2006-2009. They were diagnosed by egg positivity in feces using the Kato-Katz method. After administration of praziquantel, they were purged with cathartics on the next day, and then discharged adult worms were collected from their feces. Their EPGs ranged from 0 to 65,544. Adult worms of C. sinensis were collected from 17 egg-positive cases, and the number of worms ranged from 1 to 114 in each individual. A positive correlation between EPGs and numbers of worms was demonstrated (r = 0.681, P<0.001). Worm recovery rates were 9.7% in cases of EPGs 1-1,000 and 73.7% in those of EPGs over 1,000. No worms were detected from egg-negative subjects. Maximum egg count per worm per day was roughly estimated 3,770 in a subject with EPGs 2,664 and 106 collected worms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The numbers of the worms are significantly correlated with the egg counts in human clonorchiasis. It is estimated that at least 110 worms are infected in a human body with EPGs around 3,000, and egg productivity of a worm per day is around 4,000.
authors: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jae-Hwan
authors: JH
authors: Kim
authors: Min-Ho
authors: MH
authors: Choi
authors: Young Mee
authors: YM
authors: Bae
authors: Jin-Kyoung
authors: JK
authors: Oh
authors: Min Kyung
authors: MK
authors: Lim
authors: Sung-Tae
authors: ST
authors: Hong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D003003:Clonorchiasis / Q000469:parasitology*; D003004:Clonorchis sinensis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013223:Statistics as Topic