Prevalence of Metagonimus Metacercariae in Sweeffish, Plecoglossus altivelis, from Eastern and Southern Coastal Areas in Korea.

The present study was performed to determine the current infecion status of Metagonimus yokogawai metacercariae in sweetfish, P/ecog/ossus attire/is, collected from several streams in eastern and southern coastal areas of Korea. The sweetfish collected were artificially digested with pepsin-HCI solution and examined under a stereomicroscope in August and September, 2007. Out of 145 sweetfish collected from 10 streams in eastern coasts (Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do), 88 (60.7%) were infected with Metagonimus metacercariae. The average metacemarial density was 61 per infected fish. Among 141 sweetfish collected from 10 streams in southern coasts (Gyeongsangnam-do, Ulsan Metropolitan city, and Jecllanam-do), 140 (99.3%) were infected with Metagonimus metacercariae, and their average density was 949 per infected fish. The present study confirmed that M. yokogawai metacercariae are still prevalent in the sweetfish from several eastern and southern coastal localities. The prevalence and metacemarial density were much higher in the sweetfish from streams of southern coasts than in those of eastern coasts. Therefore, attention should be paid to this small fluke infection, and consumption of raw sweetfish naturally produced in these areas should be prohibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]