Status of Ascaris Lumbricoides Infection in Slum Population of Suburban Seoul

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to findout the characteristics of helminthic infection, especially. those of Ascaris lumbricoides infection in the slum, population residing in suburban Seoul. This study was conducted on 301 slum residents in Machun-Dong, Kangnam-Ku, Seoul on August, 1977. The results of this study could be summarized, as follows 1) The prevalence rate of Ascaris lumbricoides among 194 subjected residents was 59.8 percent. The highest prevalence was observed in the age group of 0~9 years (prevalence rate 65 per cent). 2) The average. E.P.G. of A. lumbricoides were found to be 3,100 in 111 infected cases and this fingure was also the highest in the age group, 0~9 years. 3) After chemotherapy with pyrantal pamoate in dose of 10mg/kg disregarding the results of stool examination, satisfactory follow-up stool collection for worm detection could be performed in I54 cases, among 301 subjected cases. Out of the 154 cases, 97 (63per cent) passed out Ascaris worm(s) and the average worm burden was 4.7 per infected cases. The analysis of collected data revealed that the prevalence rate was higher in female, although, the worm burden per infected case was higher in male residents. The children aged 0-9 years harbored the worms as much as adults. 4) By observing the collected worms an4 discriminating the reinfected young Ascaris aged less than 2-months, it was found that the reinfection occurred in 14 per cent of residents in a month and average amount of reinfection was 0.205 per month per person. These two reinfection, indices were also the highest in children. From the above results, it was concluded that the reinfection of Ascaris lumbricoides was . actively occurred in the residents of the slum area and the children in this area were the most seriously affected by the infection.