Chemotherapeutic drugs for common parasitic diseases in Korea

ABSTRACT

Incidence of parasitic diseases in Korea has been changing recently. The incidence of some parasitic diseases such as toxocariasis and cryptosporidiosis has increased, while that of soil-transmitted helminthic diseases has drastically decreased. Malaria reemerged in 1993 but has decreased in the 2010s. Here, common parasitic diseases that can be encountered in the clinical field are introduced, along with therapeutic agents such as anthelmintics, anti-malarial drugs, and anti-protozoan drugs to help general physicians select the appropriate medicine for parasitic diseases. Currently, soil-transmitted helminths are not a public health problem. On the other hand, the egg positive rate of Clonorchis sinensis has not decreased rapidly due to the habit of eating raw fresh water fishes in endemic areas; however, due to low worm density, it is difficult to detect infected persons only by clinical symptoms. Toxocariasis and ocular acanthamoebiasis can be detected more frequently due to appropriate diagnostic tools and physicians' concern. Cases of intestinal trematodiases, intestinal protozoasis, and vaginal trichomoniasis have decreased year by year. Since enterobiasis, pediculosis, and scabies are contact-borne diseases, local transmission and resurgence are always possible. Only a few antiparasitic agents can be prescribed in the clinics albendazole, praziquantel, metronidazole, chloroquine, primaquine, and crotamiton. It may be helpful to general physicians to be reminded of the indications, prescription methods, and side effects described briefly for each drug that can be prescribed for parasitic diseases. Further information can be gathered from the Korea Pharmaceutical Information Service (http//www.kpis.or.kr/). For accurate diagnosis and prescription, a parasitologist may be consulted.