[Human clonorchiasis survey in Taiwan and its immunodiagnostic technics]

In a series of control study on human clonorchiasis, surveys had been carried out for four years. During the fourth year of study, immunodiagnosis was also tried. Skin test and stool examination were performed as a routine epidemiological survey in this study. The result of skin test revealed that 7 out of 738 primary school children and 2 out of 274 inhabitants in Tong-ho Township, Taitung County showed positive reaction. Four out of 500 children and none of 9 teachers tested from the primary school of Nan-hua Township, Hualien County were positive. For stool examinations, only one was found with Clonorchis eggs among 34 children from Nan-hua school, Hualien County, but none of 549 children from Tong-ho school, Taitung County was found with eggs. When stool examination was performed to those who had history of eating raw fresh water fish, positive cases increased in numbers, such as in Pingtung County, 19 out of 96 children and in Meinung Township of Kaohsiung County, 52 out of 86 children and 14 out of 19 teachers were shown positive for Clonorchis eggs. Immunodiagnosis by means of ELISA had been carried out in 72 sera of clonorchiasis patients and CFT, CIE in 30 sera. Results showed that ELISA detectable antibody titer was between 1,600 and 25,600, CFT, between 16 and 128 and CIE, under 4. In 8 sera of non-infected and 6 infected with various intestinal helminths, negative reactions were obtained from each technic.