Hydatid worms, hosted by humans and animals, impose serious human health risk and cause significant livestock production loss. To better understand the disease infection status in Xinjiang, China, we investigated the disease epidemics in 4 livestock animals, i.e., cattle, sheep (both sheep and goat), camels, and horses, slaughtered at the abattoirs in Urumqi, Yining, Tacheng, and Altay areas. The results showed that the animals were infected at different rates, in the order of sheep (9.8%), cattle (8.4%), camels (6.8%), and horses (4.3%). The infection rates were found to be different between the abattoirs in various regions even for the same animals. For sheep, the rates increased significantly as the animals grew older. It was 1.9% before 1 year of age and increased to 8.2% in the age of 1-2 years, and further increased to 12.3% when the animals were 3-4 years old, and reached 17.2% when they were 5-6 year old. Sheep older than 6 years had an infection rate of 19.5%. This study demonstrates that the 4 livestock animals in the pastoral areas in Xinjiang were infected by the parasites to various extend. This study is the first systematic investigation of the hydatid worms in various livestock animals in Xinjiang, China, which provides epidemiological information about the infection of hydatid worms in livestock, and is valuable in developing strategies for prevention and control of the hydatid disease.
Age Factors ; Animals ; China/epidemiology ; Echinococcosis/epidemiology/*veterinary ; *Livestock ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of Echinococcus infections in wild carnivores in Serthar County, Sichuan Province, so as to provide insights into echinococcosis control in local areas. METHODS: Stool samples were collected from wild carnivores in Serthar County, Sichuan Province in May 2021, and the host sources of stool samples and Echinococcus infections were identified using PCR assays. The prevalence of E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus infections was estimated in different hosts. RESULTS: A total of 583 stool samples were collected from wild carnivores, including 147 stool samples from fox, 154 from wolf, 227 from wild dogs and 11 from lynx. The overall prevalence of E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus infections was 5.68%, 0.19% and 14.20% in canine stool samples, and no E. granulosus infection was detected in fox stool samples, while the prevalence of E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus infections was 0.68% and 47.62% in fox stool samples (χ² = 88.41, P < 0.001). No E. granulosus or E. shiquicus infection was detected in wolf stool samples, and the prevalence of E. multilocularis infection was 10.39% in wolf stool samples. The prevalence of E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus infections was 5.73%, 0.44% and 2.20% in canine stool samples (χ² = 12.13, P < 0.01). In addition, the prevalence of E. multilocularis infections was significantly higher in wolf stool samples than in canine and fox stool samples (χ² = 13.23, P < 0.01), and the prevalence of E. shiquicus infections was significantly higher in fox stool samples than in canine and wolf stool samples (χ² = 187.01, P < 0.001). No Echinococcus infection was identified in 11 lynx stool samples. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of Echinococcus infections is high in wild canines in Serthar County, Sichuan Province. Wolf, wild dog and fox all participate in the wild life cycle of E. multilocularis in Serthar County, and wolf and wild dogs may play a more important role.
Animals ; Dogs/microbiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; DNA, Helminth/genetics* ; Echinococcosis/veterinary* ; Feces ; Foxes/microbiology* ; Lynx/microbiology* ; Prevalence ; Wolves/microbiology* ; Carnivora/microbiology*

Hydatidosis has become a real concern for health care institutions and animal rearers in Tunisia. The Tunisian endemicity is aggravated by the growing number of dogs and the difficulty of getting rid of contaminated viscera because of the lack of equipment in most slaughterhouses. Therefore, microscopic and molecular tools were applied to evaluate the role of slaughterhouses in canine infection and Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s. l.) egg dissemination. Exposure risk to E. granulosus s. l. eggs in urban and rural areas was explored in order to implant preventive and adapted control strategies. Microscopic examinations detected taeniid eggs in 152 amongst 553 fecal samples. The copro-PCR demonstrated that 138 of 152 taeniid samples analyzed were positive for E. granulosus s. l. DNA. PCR-RFLP demonstrated that all isolated samples belonged to E. granulosus sensu stricto (s. s.). An important environmental contamination index (25.0%) by E. granulosus s. l. eggs was demonstrated. The average contamination index from the regions around slaughterhouses (23.3%; 95% CI: 17.7-28.9%) was in the same range as detected in areas located far from slaughterhouses (26.0%, 95% CI: 21.3-30.8%). Echinococcosis endemic areas were extended in both rural (29.9%, 95% CI: 24.8-34.9%) and urban locations (18.1%, 95% CI: 13.0-22.9%). The pathogen dissemination is related neither to the presence/absence of slaughterhouses nor to the location in urban or rural areas, but is probably influenced by human activities (home slaughtering) and behavior towards the infected viscera.
Abattoirs/*standards/statistics & numerical data ; Animals ; Dog Diseases/*epidemiology/prevention & control ; Dogs ; Echinococcosis/epidemiology/prevention & control/*veterinary ; Echinococcus granulosus/*physiology ; *Environmental Exposure ; *Rural Population ; Tunisia/epidemiology ; *Urban Population

Hydatid disease imposing serious threat on human health and great loss in livenotstock pastoralism remains a major public health problem in western China. To assess and monitor the effect of control program on transmission dynamics, we used the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in slaughtered sheep at slaughterhouse as an indicator during the period of 2007 to 2013 in Emin County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The results showed a significant decline trend of prevalence in all age groups during the 7 years when the control program was implemented; particularly, the rate was reduced by 72% after first 3 years. Among the sheep slaughtered, the age distribution evidenced that the prevalence increased significantly as the sheep grew older. The baseline data indicated that the rate was 4.5% at the age <1, 6.7% at age 2~, and reached to the highest 17.9% at age > or =4 years. Earlier response to the intervention pressure was seen in the sheep at the younger age. Significant decline started from 2008 at the age <1, from 2009 at age of 1~, 2010 at 2~ to 3~, and the latest, in 2012 at age > or =4. This study demonstrated that the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in slaughtered sheep may be used as an indicator to assess and monitor the transmission status during and after control program providing information for betterment of performance to sustain control strength.
Abattoirs/statistics & numerical data ; Animals ; China/epidemiology ; Echinococcosis/epidemiology/parasitology/prevention & control/*veterinary ; Female ; Male ; Prevalence ; Sheep ; Sheep Diseases/epidemiology/parasitology/*prevention & control

According to increase of travel, the cases of imported echinococcosis have been increasing in Korea. The present study was undertaken to develop a serodiagnostic system for echinococcosis in Korea. For diagnosis of echinococcosis, the fluid of Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cysts was collected from naturally infected sheep in Uzbekistan. Also serum samples of infected patients who were surgically confirmed were collected in a hospital in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. According to the absorbance of 59 echinococcosis positive and 39 negative control serum samples, the cut-off value was determined as 0.27. The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA with hydatid fluid antigen were 91.5% and 96%, respectively. The antigen cross-reacted with the serum of some cysticercosis or clonorchiasis patients. However, immunoblot analysis on the cystic fluid recognized antigenic proteins of 7-, 16-, and 24-kDa bands in their dominant protein quantity and strong blotting reactivity. In conclusion, the present ELISA system using hydatid cyst fluid antigen from Uzbekistan sheep is sensitive and specific for diagnosis of echinococcosis cases.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Echinococcosis/blood/diagnosis/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Serologic Tests/*methods ; Sheep ; Sheep Diseases/blood/diagnosis/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Uzbekistan/epidemiology ; Young Adult