Arthrostoma miyazakiense (Nematoda: Ancylostomatidae) infection in raccoon dogs of Korea and experimental transmission to dogs

Arthrostoma miyazakiense (Nematoda: Ancylostomatidae) is a hookworm species reported from the small intestines of raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Japan. Five Korean raccoon dogs (N. procyonoides koreensis) caught from 2002 to 2005 in Jeollanam-do (Province), a southeastern area of South Korea, contained helminth eggs belonging to 4 genera (roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and Capillaria spp.) and cysts of Giardia sp. in their feces. Necropsy findings of 1 raccoon dog revealed a large number of adult hookworms in the duodenum. These hookworms were identified as Arthrostoma miyazakiense based on the 10 articulated plates observed in the buccal capsule and the presence of right-sided prevulval papillae. Eggs of A. miyazakiense were 60-65 x 35-40 micrometer (av. 62.5 x 35 micrometer), and were morphologically indistinguishable from those of Ancylostoma caninum. The eggs were cultured to infective 2nd stage larvae via charcoal culture, and 100 infective larvae were used to experimentally infect each of 3 mixed-bred puppies. All puppies harbored hookworm eggs in their feces on the 12th day after infection. This is the first report thus far concerning A. miyazakiense infections in raccoon dogs in Korea, and the first such report outside of Japan.

Manifestaciones clinicas y laboratoriales de la uncinariasis / Clinical and laboratory and manifestations of uncinariasis

Los realizaron un esturdio de las principales manifestaciones clinicas y laboratoriales que acompanan la infestacion por uncinarias en 62 ninos lactantes en un periodo de 2 anos y que ingresaron a la Sala Primera del Hospital de Ninos "Dr. Mario Ortiz Suarez" con el diagnostico principal de esta parasitosis. Como manifestacion principal recalcamos la anemia con todo su cortejo sintomatologico de palidez, sudoracion, anorexia, astenia, disnea y choque hipovolemico. Ademas tenemos la desnutricion que acompana casi siempre al cuadro clinico; la diarrea en sus dos formas; aguda o cronica y finalmente los sintomas referentes al sangrado intestinal activo: melena y enterorragia. Todos nuestros pacientes presentaron anemia, algunos de menor grado; pero la mayoria fueron anemias severas, con hemoglobinas por debajo de 7 g/dL y aun hasta por debajo de 2g/dL.

Sodium azide as a preservative in epidemiological studies of helminth ova in fecal specimens.

In 20 fecal specimens stored at ambient temperature (30-40 degrees C) for 3-7 days, substantial reductions in hookworm ova load were observed when a sensitive egg counting method (modified Kato's technique) was employed. Aliquots to which sodium azide (3 mg/g of fecal matter) was added showed considerably less reduction. A larger study on 120 specimens confirmed that there was no reduction up to 3 days. Significant decreases, however, occurred by 5 days, and these could not be prevented even by doubling the sodium azide dose (to 6 mg). It is recommended that in epidemiological studies of hookworm infestation in tropical countries, 3 mg of sodium azide should be added per g of fecal matter within 6 h of collection and the specimen tested within 3 days.