English

Abstract

Echinococcosis in Livestock Slaughtered in Arak Industrial Abattoir in Central Iran During 2006 to 2012. Ghasemikhah R1, Shahdoust M2, Sarmadian H3, Rezaei M4, Ghorbanzadeh B1, Gorji A5, Zare-Bidaki M6. Author information • 1Department of Parasitology and mycology, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran. • 2Department of Biostatistics and epidemiology, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. • 3Department of Infectious Diseases, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran. • 4Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. • 5Veterinary directorate general of Markazi province, Arak, Iran. • 6Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran, e-mail: m.zare@rums.ac.ir. Abstract Objective: Echinococcosis or hydatid cyst in humans and livestock is resulted from the larval stage of dog tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus. Although Iran is considered as an endemic focus of echinococcosis in the world, however, the status of three well-known aspects of the infection, ie canids, livestock and humans populations, is not still completely elucidated in Arak city, the capital of the Markazi province. This study aimed to elucidate the livestock infection in the region. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, after necessary coordination with the provincial administration of Iranian Veterinary Organization, totally 860 171 livestock slaughtered in industrial slaughterhouse of Arak city, including 364 682 sheep, 117 495 cattle and 377 994 goats were investigated during 2006 to 2012. The collected data were statistically analysed using SPSS software. Results: The average prevalence of liver and lung infection in studied livestock was 1.94% and 3.24%, respectively. Sheep and goats have the highest and lowest prevalence of both liver and lung infection, respectively. Prevalence of hydatid cyst in goats and sheep, not cattle, in various years of the study period showed a statistically significant difference. Conclusion: Our results revealed a lower infection rate of hydatid cysts in the livestock of this region compared to the country average and many other Iranian provinces. Moreover, the study may imply an active local transmission cycle of echinococcosis.