Four Taeniasis saginata Cases Diagnosed at a University Hospital in Korea

• Published in: Korean journal of parasitology Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 313 - 318
• Main Authors: Won, Eun Jeong, Shin, Ju Hyeon, Lee, Yu Jeong, Kim, Moon-Ju, Kang, Seung Ji, Jung, Sook In, Kim, Soo Hyun, Shin, Jong Hee, Chai, Jong-Yil, Shin, Sung-Shik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) 대한기생충학열대의학회 01.06.2019; The Korean Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine
• Subjects: Brief Communication; intra-species variation; Taenia saginata; Korea
• ISSN: 0023-4001; 1738-0006; 1738-0006
• DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2019.57.3.313

In recent years, the taeniasis has been rarely reported in the Republic of Korea (Korea). But in this study, we intend to report 4 taeniasis cases caused by Taenia saginata during a 5-month period (February to June 2018) at a unversity hospital in Gwangju, Korea. Worm samples (proglottids) discharged from all cases were identified by phenotypic and molecular diagnostics. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences showed 99.4-99.9% identity with T. saginata but, differed by 4% from T. asiatica and by 7% from T. multiceps, respectively. We found that tapeworms in 2 cases (Cases 2 and 3) yielded exactly the same sequences between them, which differed from those in Cases 1 and 4, suggesting intra-species variation in tapeworms. These taeniasis cases by T. saginata infection in this study, which occurred within a limited time period and region, suggest the possibility of a mini-outbreak. This study highlights the need for further epidemiological investigation of potentially overlooked cases of T. saginata infection in Korea.