Abstract
Cystic echinococcosis (CE), a zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.), is a worldwide public health problem. Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.), associated with G1 and G3 genotypes, is endemic with high prevalence in the Mediterranean basin. The parasite’s life cycle comprises definitive hosts (canids) and intermediate hosts (ruminants) and can occasionally involve humans. The main aim of this research was to confirm the diagnosis of 13 patients suspected of CE who presented different complications and needed the surgical removal of the cysts. We also wanted to understand and clarify more the diagnosis of echinococcosis in humans. For this purpose, the patients first underwent cyst evaluation by ultrasound (US), immunological analysis, and then total pericystectomy, followed by parasitological, histopathological, and molecular biology examinations of the cysts. US stadiated one CE1, one CE2, eight CE3b, one CE4, and two CE5; immunology evidenced nine positives; histopathology confirmed 11 CE cysts, of which 8 fertile presenting protoscoleces were identified as E. granulosus s.s. by molecular biology, genotyped as three G1 and four G3 by neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree. In conclusion, the results showed that 11 patients were affected by E. granulosus s.s. G1 orG3, and 2 cystic neoformations were of non-parasitic origin.
Highlights
Human echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a species of medical importance, the Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.), an etiological agent of cystic echinococcosis (CE) [1,2].Human Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important public health problem with worldwide distribution, since it has been reported in all continents except Antarctica [3,4,5]
Radiological findings for the 13 patients investigated revealed in each subject the presence of one or more hepatic neoformations attributable to echinococcal cysts for the typical features
The diagnosis of 13 patients suspected of CE showed 11 subjects infected by E. granulosus s.s
Summary
Human echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a species of medical importance, the Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.), an etiological agent of cystic echinococcosis (CE) [1,2]. Human CE is an important public health problem with worldwide distribution, since it has been reported in all continents except Antarctica [3,4,5]. The areas in which the burden of infection is Pathogens 2020, 9, 907; doi:10.3390/pathogens9110907 www.mdpi.com/journal/pathogens. Has an annual CE incidence of 1.6/105 inhabitants. Human CE is distributed in all the territories, with several regional variations (sporadic, endemic, and hyperendemic). Sardinia and Sicily present the highest CE average incidence, and the observed rates correspond to 6.8/105 and 4.0/105 , respectively [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: 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.
