Haruhiko MARUYAMA
Yukifumi NAWA
Department of Parasitology, Miyazaki Medical College, Miyazaki 889-16, Japan.

Shinichi NODA
Department of Medical Zoology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima Univeristy, Kagoshima 890, Jpan.

Abstract
In order to comprehend the recent trends in parasitic disease in southern part of Kyushu, Japan, we closely analyzed the patient whose sera and/or body fluid were sent to the Department of Parasitology, Miyazaki Medical, College, for immunodiagnosis in the last 10 years. The number of total samples received, as well as positive ones, have been increasing every year since 1086. Paragonimiasis has been still the major parasitic disease in Miyazaki and adjacent area. In addition, substantial number of other cases like gnathostomiasis, ascariasis fascioliasis, and strongyloidiasis also occurred in this area. In 1995m 45 out of 129 serum samples were positive for binding to parasite antigens. Patients were mostly middle-aged, 55.8% of them being male. Direct demonstration of eggs or worm bodies was possible only in 2 cases. Major clinical manifestations of the patients were eosinophilia occurring together with lung and/or liver disorders. About two thirds (30/44) of the patients having eosinophilia of >20% were diagnosed as having parasitic diseases. Eosinophilia was the only clinical manifestation in 7 patients. Of 41 cases that had respiratory symptoms, 56.1% had parasitic diseases. The most frequently encountered abdominal symptom was hepatic nodular lesion(s) in abdominal scan. Of 10 such cases, 8 had parasitic diseases. In total, among patients who had eosinophilia together with lung and/or liver symptoms, 70.0% of them were diagnosed as having some kind of food-borne helminthic diseases of zoonotic nature. Requirement for a screening kit which covers various parasitic diseases was suggested, with which primary physicians cantest their patientsŐ sera immediately when they find eosinophilia.