Abstract
Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic zoonosis with serious clinical burden and constitutes a challenge to public health in endemic areas worldwide. We performed a retrospective study to investigate the occurrence of CE in patients at six hospitals in Basrah province, Iraq. In the current study setting, data retrieval and validation of the quality of hospital records was very challenging considering the difficult situation Iraq is unfortunately facing. Hospitalization records were reviewed from January 2005 to December 2015. A total of 748 cases of human with CE were diagnosed and operated in Basrah hospitals, equivalent to an annual clinical incidence of approximately 4.5 cases per 100 000 people. Hospital records show that, cystic echinococcosis affected more females (61.2%) than males (38.8%). Descriptive review of recorded CE cases in the surveyed hospitals revealed that more cases were reported in the age group of 21–30 years than in the other age groups. Based on the reviewed recorded clinical reports, cysts were mainly found in the liver (46.3%) and lungs (28.1%) of the patients. Hospital reports demonstrate that females had more hepatic cysts (63.9%) than males (36.1%). This study found that CE continues to pose a threat to public health in Basrah, and there is a need for more epidemiological investigations of CE in humans in order to determine risk factors and the economic impact of the disease in this province of Iraq.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.