Infection status of zoonotic intestinal helminths in striped field mice from Jeollabuk-do, Korea

The present study was performed to investigate the infection status of zoonotic intestinal helminths in field mice captured from 7 local sites of Jeollabuk-do, Korea. A total of 78 Apodemus agrarius were collected in 7 survey sites, i.e., Sunchang-gun, Wanju-gun, Imsil-gun, Muju-gun, Gochang-gun, Jeonju-si, and Namwon-si, with Sherman live traps (Bioquip) for the surveillance of rodent-borne diseases through 2 times in 2019. The small intestine of each mouse was resected and longitudinally opened using scissors. The intestinal contents were washed with 0.85% saline until the supernatant became clear. The helminthic worms were collected with naked eyes and/or under a stereomicroscope from the sediment of the intestinal content. A total of 3 species of zoonotic intestinal helminths (1 trematode sp. and 2 cestode spp.) were collected. Plagiorchis muris were found in the small intestines of 7 (9.0%) mice (from Sunchang, Muju, Jeonju, and Namwon). Two species of tapeworm, Hymenolepis nana (from all survey sites except Wanju) and Hymenolepis diminuta (from Wanju, Imsil, and Namwon) were detected in 14 (17.9%) and 4 (5.1%) mice, respectively. The ventral view of P. muris was morphologically described. In this study, it was confirmed that 3 species of zoonotic intestinal helminths, P. muris, H. nana, and H. diminuta, are prevalent in striped field mice from Jeollabuk-do, Korea.