Prevalence of sparganum of frogs (Rana nigromaculata) in Dae-jeon area, Chung-nam, Korea

Abstract

Prevalence of sparganum in the frog (Rana nigromaculata) was surveyed in Dae-jeon city and in suburbs of the city, Chungnam Do. 39 (3.9 %) out of 1,011 frogs were infected with the worm, and the highest prevalence rate of sparganum was found the frogs from Shintanjin area(11.3 %). Infection rates of sparganum were observed due to the body weight and sex of frogs. The highest infection rate of frogs, the body weight of 50 gms or more, showed 30.3 per cent(female: 41.7 %, male: none), on the other hand, no worm was found in young frogs(less than 10 gms). Distribution of sparganum in the frogs was recorded and 82.6 % of worms were distributed in the femoral intermuscular connective tissues of the hind legs. Among those infected frogs, number of worm burden was one to five worms, and 53.3 per cent of frogs were infected by only one worm.