Abstract

A survey of intestinal parasites was performed during the period from April 1970 to December 1971 in ROKA (Republic of Korea Army) soldiers. Samples were collected from 591 Army troops(enlisted men), 1,755 recruits at completion of 6 weeks basic training, 304 recruits during basic training and 245 stool specimens of students of ROKA Nursing School at Taegu area. Each of the specimens was examined one time or twice under the microscope, one for protozoan cysts stained with iodine solution and the other for helminth eggs. Findings were summerized as follows: A positive rate of intestinal parasites was 88.0 percent by Formalin-Ether concentration method and 89.2 percent by Kato's method. Of the 541 soldiers examined by Formalin-Ether concentration method, the infection rate of A. lumbricoides was 28.1 percent, T. trichiurus 79.3 percent, hookworm 14.2 percent, T. orientalis 30.7 percent, C. sinensis 7.8 percent and M. yokogawai 0.6 percent. Of the 1,532 soldiers examined by Kato's method A. lumbricoides showed positive rate of 45.8 percent, T. trichiurus 78.3 percent, T. orientalis 1 4.5 percent, hookworm 7.5 percent, C. sinensis 6.6 percent and Taenia sp. 0.6 percent. The incidence of E. vermicularis out of 822 samples was 19.8 percent from the anal swabs. E. histolytica was recovered in 4.2 percent among 541 samples, E. coli 6.1 percent and also infected G. lamblia, E. nana, I. butschlii and Chilomastix mesnili. Most of the infected cases revealed single or double infections.