A cross-sectional epidemiological survey on Schistosoma haematobium infection was carried out in a small community in the coastal area of Kenya. From the 1, 206 registered inhabitants, 853 urine specimens were examined. The overall prevalence and intensity of infection were 68.2 percent and 50.0/hour respectively. Some demographical and geographical differences of infection were analyzed. The profile of age-related distribution showed sexual differences in the prevalence and intensity of infection, the prevalence of heavy infection (>1, 000/hour) and the prevalence of gross hematuria. Those of females are higher than those of males especially after adolescence. This is probably due to the difference in water contact behavior. The marked higher prevalence and intensity of infection were observed among people who lived along the branch of a main river than those who lived along the main river. The difference might be due to the different degree of contamination in the rivers. There was no difference in prevalence and intensity of infection among the three main tribes.

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The questionnairing on the occurrence of human thelaziasis conducted in 1983 to 41 ophthalmologists practicing in Oita obtained 15 new cases, 5 of which remained undetermind because of the lack of precise record and parasite removed. Eight of the remaining 10 cases were confirmed as thelaziasis caused by Thelazia callipaeda by the morphological characters of the parasites preserved, 1 was suspected so by record, but the last 1 was not thelaziasis (the worm removed and preserved was a larva of Chironomiidae which had accidentally entered the eye probably while the patient was washing face in the field). Review of these 9 new human cases, together with 7 of 9 previously reported cases from Oita showed that human thelaziasis has continued to occur every year since 1975 when the first case was reported, in several areas including Oita city. The disease was found from May (early summer) to December (early winter), with the peak in October. The patients chiefly complained feeling of foreign body in their eye, followed by mucous secretions, itch, and epiphora. An age-depending trend of prevalence was observed, showing high rates in infants less than 5 years old and also in aged people over 60 years old.

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Present study evaluated the sensitivity of skin test and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using antigen of Gnathostoma doloresi adult obtained from wild boars for immunodiagnosis of the human gnathostomiasis in Ecuador. Examinations were performed on 17 subjects clinically diagnosed as gnathostomiasis, 18 Ecuadorian controls and 10 Japanese controls. Based on the criteria of the positivity, 9 mm or more in diameter of the wheal size of the skin test, the positives were 14 (82.4%) out of 17 patients by the injection with 1 pg antigen. Using 10μg antigen, the positive rate in patients attained to 100%, but 3 (16.7%) out of 18 controls also showed positive reaction. There was a statistically significant correlation (r= 0.68, P< 0.01) between the wheal size in the skin test and the period from the appearance of the initial symptom. These results suggest that the skin test was highly sensitive in gnathostomiasis. When ELISA value of 0.4 or more was considered positive, 15 (93.8%) out of 16 were positive in patients, 5 (27.7%) out of 18 were positive in Ecuadorian controls and none in 10 Japanese controls. The study revealed that ELISA showed high sensitivity.

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The woodchuck (Marmota monax) has been a matter of interest as animal model for human hepatitides since the discovery of woodchuck hepatitis virus.
A total of 77 woodchucks were imported from the each areas of the United States as laboratory animals for the study on hepatitis, and all woodchucks were examined for the parasites. Four nematodes (Trichuris sp., Strongyloides sp., Capillaria hepatica and trichostrongylid nematoda), three cestodes (Hymenolepis sp., Taenia crassiceps and T. mustelae) and four protozoa (Giardia sp., Chilomastix sp., Entamoeba coli and Endolimax nana) were identified. Although the parasities except for Trichuris, Hymenolepis and protozoa had been reported from woodchucks already, the dominant species of parasites were different in each habitats of woodchucks.
Some parasites of woodchuck (Capillaria hepatica and Giardia sp.) are important as causative agents of human sickness.
We think it is necessary to eradicate these parasites from woodchuck bred in human society because they are zoonotic parasites and dangerous to humans.

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