Food-borne Parasitic Diseases

ABSTRACT

This article briefly reviews parasites transmitted by food materials and their diseases in Korea. They are taxonomically classified into 31 species of helminths, which include nematodes(6 species), trematodes(20), cestodes(6), and 1 species of protozoan. The food materials serving as the source of human infections are fishes, snails, crustacea, amphibia, reptiles, and mammals. These parasites include those that have been veiled by the previously common and well-known parasites such as Ascaris and Trichuris, and those that have been newly identified as human-infecting parasites. For prevention of these infections, avoidance of raw or improperly cooked foods is the most important strategy.