[Imported parasitic diseases--recent epidemiology and progress in the chemotherapy]

Imported parasitic diseases have been increasingly important in basic and clinical medicine in developed countries, as the number of travellers in developing countries, where numerous kinds of parasitic diseases are highly endemic, have been increasing. Recent epidemiologic investigation demonstrated that malaria, amebiasis, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis and cysticercosis seemed important as judged from the number of infected individuals, primarily Japanese travellers. Although these parasitic diseases pose some serious medical problems, establishment of the effective chemotherapeutic strategy is of urgent significance. In this respect, activities of the Research Group of Development of Chemotherapeutic Agents against Tropical Parasitic Diseases supported by the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare appear to be important to keep appropriate drugs in Japan.