Background: Hydatidosis is an infection caused by the cystic larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. This disease is a zoonotic disease has a worldwide distribution and common in developing and undeveloped countries. Objectives: The objective of the present study is to studying the infection rate and predilection seats of hydatid cyst affections among slaughtered food animals in Aswan Governorate, southern Egypt and study the effect of age and sex of infected slaughtered animals on the infection with hydatid cyst. Also, study the effect of seasonal variations in the infection with hydatid cyst among slaughtered animals. In addition, the macroscopic examination, microscopic examination, scanning electron microscopy and histopathological studies for the collected hydatid cyst are examined. Methods: This investigation was carried out from August 2015 to July 2016 in two main slaughterhouses in Aswan Governorate to study the hydatidosis in camels and sheep. By routine meat inspection, hydatid cyst count and characterization was conducted. Findings: A total of 2080 camels and 674 sheep were examined. Of these, 173 (8.32%) camels and 3 (0.45%) sheep were found to harbour one or more hydatid cysts. Female and older age slaughtered animals were more susceptible to infection with these metacestode than males and younger animals. Hydatid cyst infection in slaughtered animals is most commonly found in lung followed by liver while mixed infection in both lung and liver was found only in camel. Hydatid cyst in slaughtered camels was higher in autumn followed by winter, while hydatid cyst in slaughtered sheep was found only in autumn season. Fertile cysts in lung and liver of slaughtered camels was 83.4% and 30% respectively. While the fertility of hydatid cyst in infected lung and liver of sheep was 100%. Main conclusions: This study reported that slaughtered animals were infected with relatively high infection rate of hydatid cyst may be due to the presence of socio-economic conditions favourable for the disease and maintenance of high level of infection. So must design governmental control programs against hydatidosis to minimize the infection rate in Aswan Governorate and ensure effective protection not only for animal population but also for humans at risk of contracting the infection.

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The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence, organ distribution, morphological characters and economic importance of Cysticercus ovis and Cysticercus tenuicollis in sheep and goats. A total of 669 sheep and 484goats slaughtered at Aswan Slaughterhouse were carefully examined for these metacestodes. Cysticercus ovis was detected (1.94%) from slaughtered sheep. Cysticercus tenuicollis was found (13.3%) in sheep and (24.2%) in goats. The prevalence of both C.ovis and C.tenuicollis was higher in females than males and their prevalence was higher in older animals compared to the younger ones. For Cysticercus ovis, the highest infection was found in spring while the highest seasonal infection rate of Cysticercus tenuicollis in slaughtered sheep and goats was noted in autumn season. The infection with C.ovis was only found in the heart, while C.tenuicollis in slaughtered sheep and goats was found mainly in the omentum. These results suggest that the high prevalence of the metacestodes infection in this area is a great concern for both medical and veterinary authorities to design therapeutic and preventive programs to overcome this problem.