Epidemiological study on bovine cystic echinococcosis in an endemic focus of Türkiye: ten-year trends, abattoir surveillance, and molecular characterization.
- 1Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, 25240, Türkiye.
- 2Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, 25240, Türkiye. [email protected].
- 3Department of Parasitology, Parasitology Research Center and Parasite Resource Bank, School of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Korea.
Abstract
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a significant zoonotic infection caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato, and it is a serious public health problem in Türkiye. The study aims to determine the current prevalence of bovine CE in Erzurum, to identify its molecular genotypes, and to analyze long-term trends in infection prevalence. A total of 1,241 slaughtered cattle were examined, and the CE prevalence was 24.09% (299/1,241). The lungs were the most frequently infected organ, with a rate of 93.31% (p < 0.05). The study revealed that the highest infection rates were observed in cattle over 5 years of age and in females (p < 0.05). The vast majority of infected cattle exhibited single cysts (73.24%) (p < 0.05), with cyst diameters ranging from 1 to 15 cm. Medium-sized cysts (2-5 cm) were predominant in 73.06% of cases (p < 0.05). Microscopic examinations revealed that the fertility rate of cysts was 9.25%. Cyst fertility significantly increased with cyst size (p < 0.05). A molecular analysis of 105 selected cyst samples targeting the 12 S rRNA and COI gene regions identified all isolates as E. granulosus sensu stricto. The epidemiological data from the last thirty years demonstrate a decrease in the prevalence rate of approximately 10% per decade in the region, with a decline from 46.4% to 24.09%. Consequently, in order to maintain the current downward trend in prevalence observed in CE endemic regions and to minimize public health risks, it is crucial to implement comprehensive control programs based on a 'One Health' approach and to continue periodic epidemiological studies to monitor the parasite's status in hosts.
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BibTeX
@article{kirman2026epidemiological,
title = {{Epidemiological study on bovine cystic echinococcosis in an endemic focus of Türkiye: ten-year trends, abattoir surveillance, and molecular characterization.}},
author = {Ridvan Kirman and Muzaffer Akyuz and Mohammed Mebarek Bia and Ibrahim Balkaya and Esin Guven and Hamza Avcioglu},
journal = {Parasitology research},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1007/s00436-026-08736-9},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42911436},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Epidemiological study on bovine cystic echinococcosis in an endemic focus of Türkiye: ten-year trends, abattoir surveillance, and molecular characterization.
AU - Ridvan Kirman
AU - Muzaffer Akyuz
AU - Mohammed Mebarek Bia
AU - Ibrahim Balkaya
AU - Esin Guven
AU - Hamza Avcioglu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/27
JO - Parasitology research
DO - 10.1007/s00436-026-08736-9
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42911436
AB - Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a significant zoonotic infection caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato, and it is a serious public health problem in Türkiye. The study aims to determine the current prevalence of bovine CE in Erzurum, to identify its molecular genotypes, and to analyze long-term trends in infection prevalence. A total of 1,241 slaughtered cattle were examined, and the CE prevalence was 24.09% (299/1,241). The lungs were the most frequently infected organ, with a rate of 93.31% (p < 0.05). The study revealed that the highest infection rates were observed in cattle over 5 years of age and in females (p < 0.05). The vast majority of infected cattle exhibited single cysts (73.24%) (p < 0.05), with cyst diameters ranging from 1 to 15 cm. Medium-sized cysts (2-5 cm) were predominant in 73.06% of cases (p < 0.05). Microscopic examinations revealed that the fertility rate of cysts was 9.25%. Cyst fertility significantly increased with cyst size (p < 0.05). A molecular analysis of 105 selected cyst samples targeting the 12 S rRNA and COI gene regions identified all isolates as E. granulosus sensu stricto. The epidemiological data from the last thirty years demonstrate a decrease in the prevalence rate of approximately 10% per decade in the region, with a decline from 46.4% to 24.09%. Consequently, in order to maintain the current downward trend in prevalence observed in CE endemic regions and to minimize public health risks, it is crucial to implement comprehensive control programs based on a 'One Health' approach and to continue periodic epidemiological studies to monitor the parasite's status in hosts.
SN - 0932-0113
SN - 1432-1955
ER -