Reduction in the incidence of biliary and other surgical complications of ascariasis according to the decrease of its national egg prevalence in Korea

, Chai, J Y; , Cho, S Y; , Lee, S H; , Seo, B S

doi:1991.29.2.101

Korean J Parasito > Volume 29(2):1991 > Article

Original Article


Korean J Parasitol. 1991 Jun;29(2):101-111. English. Published online Mar 20, 1994. http://dx.doi.org/10.3347/kjp.1991.29.2.101
Copyright © 1991 by The Korean Society for Parasitology


Reduction in the incidence of biliary and other surgical complications of ascariasis according to the decrease of its national egg prevalence in Korea
J Y Chai,S Y Cho,^*S H Lee and B S Seo
Department of Parasitology and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-460, Korea.


Abstract
While various examples of rationale or benefits of ascariasis control could justify a necessity of control activity in a community, few practical index other than the egg prevalence or intensity of infection has been used to evaluate the efficacy obtained by the control activity. A literature-based retrospective study was undertaken to provide some numerical data on the decreasing morbidity of surgical ascariasis as a consequence of ascariasis control in Korea. A thorough review of literatures (1959-1990) on biliary and other surgical complications of ascariasis reported from general hospitals revealed that their incidence has been decreasing very proportionally to the national figures of its egg prevalence and worm burden. For example, according to the remarkable decreases of the prevalence of ascariasis, there is an evident decreasing tendency of the proportion (%) of biliary ascariasis cases among all biliary surgical patients and the proportion of biliary ascariasis cases among all biliary stone patients in general hospitals. It is highly suggested that the Korean people have been much benefited by the control activity of ascariasis executed at a national scale since 1960s, especially in terms of incidence of biliary and other surgical complications of ascariasis.

Figures


	Fig. 1 Comparative view of the decreasing pattern of the egg positive rate of A. lumbricoides (students and all people) and the increasing tendency of U-rate (students and all people) in Korea.


	Fig. 2 Decreasing patterns of the proportion (%) of biliary ascariasis cases/biliary surgical patients (○) and of biliary ascariasis cases/biliary stone patients (•).


	Fig. 3 Positive correlations of Ascaris egg prebalence and proportion of biliary ascariasis cases/biliary surgical patients (•), and Ascaris egg prevalence and proportion of biliary ascariasis cases/biliary stone patients (○).

Tables


	Table 1 Surgical conditions of ascariasis reported during 1955-1989 in Korea


	Table 2 Reports on the incidence of biliary ascariasis among all biliary surgery patients in general hospitals, Korea (1959-1990)


	Table 3 Reports on the incidence of biliary ascariasis among all biliary stone patients in general hospitals, Korea (1963-1988)


	Table 4 Annual number of reported biliary ascariasis cases during 1955-1989 in Korea


	Table 5 Reported appendiceal ascariasis cases in general hospitals, Korea


	Table 6 Reported intestinal obstruction cases due to Ascaris in general hospitals, Korea

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