Infection Status of Estuarine Fish and Oysters with Intestinal Fluke Metacercariae in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, Korea

Abstract

The source of human infection with intestinal flukes was surveyed in estuarine fishes, including the dotted gizzard shad, common sea bass, common blackish goby, redlip mullet, black sea bream, and oyster collected from Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, Korea during August and September 2007. Collected fishes and oysters were artificially digested in pepsin-HCl solution and examined under a stereomicroscope. In 36 shads (Konosirus punctatus) and 20 basses (Lateolabrax japonicus) examined, Heterophyopsis continua metacercariae were found in 58.3% and 100%, and their average numbers were 12.0 and 6.3 per infected fish, respectively. In 34 gobies (Acanthogobius flavimanus) examined, metacercariae of H. continua were detected in 79.4%, Stictodora lari in 97.1%, and Acanthotrema felis in 92.1%, and their average numbers were 45.8, 189.3, and 235.3 per infected fish, respectively. In 37 redlip mullets (Chelon haematocheilus), Heterophyes nocens metacercariae were found in 56.8%, Pygidiopsis summa in 94.6%, and Stictodora fuscata in 45.9%, and the average metacercarial densities were 17.4, 31.3, and 35.1 per infected fish, respectively. In 30 black sea breams (Acanthopagrus schlegeli) and 45 oysters (Crassostrea gigas) examined, no metacercariae were detected. From the above results, it has been confirmed that the dotted gizzard shad, common sea bass, common blackish goby, and redlip mullet from Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, Korea are infected with the metacercariae of heterophyid flukes.

Infections with Zoonotic Trematode Metacercariae in Yellowfin Goby, Acanthogobius flavimanus, from Coastal Areas of Republic of Korea

“…In the present study, 5 species, i.e., H. nocens , H. continua , S. lari, S. fuscata , and I. hortensis , of ZTM were detected, and their infection rates and intensities were more or less different by the species of ZTM and surveyed areas. Cho et al [ 26 ] detected 3 species, i.e., H. continua , S. lari , and A. felis , of ZTM in the goby from Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Their each prevalences and intensities were relatively high.…”

“…Variety of fish species, i.e., L. japonicus, A. flavimanus, C. punctatus, M. cephalus, Conger myriaster, Plecoglossus altivelis, B. pectinirostris , and Scartelaos sp. were reported as the second intermediate hosts of this heterophyid fluke in Korea [ 4 , 11 , 20 , 21 , 25 , 26 , 29 ]. Cho et al [ 26 ] detected 45.8 H. continua metacercariae per fish infected in 27 (79.4%) goby from Muan-gun in Jeollanam-do.…”

“…Lots of residents in the southern and western coastal areas of Korea are infected with these intestinal flukes [ 12 – 18 ]. As the second intermediate host (and/or the source of human infection) of heterophyid flukes, several species of brackish water fish, i.e., Lateolabrax japonicus, Konosirus punctatus, Mugil cephalus, Chelon haematocheilus, Acanthogobius flavimanus, Boleophthalmus pectinirostris , and Scartelaos sp., have been reported in Korea [ 4 – 11 , 19 – 26 ].…”

“…Sohn et al [ 25 ] performed an epidemiological survey to know the infection status of FZT metacercariae in yellowfin goby collected in Shinan-gun and Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Recently, Cho et al [ 26 ] surveyed the infection status of trematode metacercariae in estuarine fishes including yellowfin goby from Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Sohn et al [ 27 ] investigated the infection status of P. summa metacercariae in mullets from coastal areas of Korea.…”

Pygidiopsis summa (Digenea: Heterophyidae): Status of Metacercarial Infection in Mullets from Coastal Areas in the Republic of Korea

“…Studies on the source of human infections with ZHF were performed mainly in western and southern coastal areas of Korea. Most of the surveys were carried out in limited areas and examined a small number of fish hosts [ 13 - 18 ]. Especially, Seo et al [ 14 ] surveyed total 59 mullets (1-14; av.…”