Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

"refugee"

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Infections of Soil-Transmitted Helminth in Refugees from North Korea: Young-Il Lee, Min Seo, Suk-Bae Kim; Korean J Parasitol 2018;56(3):291-294.
Published online June 30, 2018; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2018.56.3.291

Abstract
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Soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) are now no longer public health problems in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), but their status are unavailable in the residents of North Korea (NK) despite the expectation of large scale traffic and future reunification of the Korean Peninsula. A total of 20 female refugees from NK who had been admitted to the Division of Gastroenterology, Dankook University Hospital, were subjected in this study. Among them, 15 refugees were examined by the colonoscopy and 10 ones were examined with the stool examination (formalin-ether sedimentation). Both diagnostic methods were commonly adopted in 5 patients. Eggs of Trichuris trichiura were detected in 7 out of 10 refugees in the stool examination. In the colonoscopy, T. trichiura worms were found in 6 (40.0%) out of 15 refugees. Total 9 (45.0%) peoples were confirmed to be infected with human whipworms. Additionally, 1 case of clonorchiasis was diagnosed in the stool examination and a worm of Ascaris lumbricoides was discovered from a trichuriasis case. These findings suggested that STH is highly prevalent in NO, in which living conditions are not so good in the aspect of general hygiene and medical care.

Citations

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Status of intestinal helminthic infections of borderline residents in North Korea: Shunyu Li, Chenghua Shen, Min-Ho Choi, Young Mee Bae, Hiwon Yoon, Sung-Tae Hong; Korean J Parasitol 2006;44(3):265-268.
Published online September 20, 2006; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2006.44.3.265

Abstract
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The present authors investigated intestinal parasitic infections among North Korean residents and refugees in China in 2003. The Kato-Katz method was applied to 236 residents and soldiers in a town on the North Korea-China border and to 46 people at a refugee camp in China. Only eggs of Ascaris and Trichuris were detected, with egg positive rates of 41.1% and 37.6%, respectively. The total egg positive rate was 55.0% and most of those who were egg positive were only lightly infected. Women of 61.2% and men of 53.1% were egg positive. The refugees from rural areas showed higher egg positive rates than those from urban areas. The present investigation confirmed high prevalence of soil-transmitted intestinal helminths in rural borderline areas of North Korea.

Citations

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