Cystic hydatid disease is an infection caused by the larval stage of a cestode parasite called Echinococcus granulosus. Hydatid cysts are one of the major parasitic infections in Libya that causes many health problems to human and responsible for economic losses because of the condemnation of the slaughtered animals infected viscera as well as reducing the quality and quantity of the livestock other productions such as milk, wool and meat. Many abattoir investigations in Libya have revealed that, cystic hydatidosis is a disease which infect a wide range of animal species with variable rates of infection, for example, sheep (1.6 to 40%), goats (5.6 to 70%), cattle (2.7 to 56%) and camels (2.7 to 48%). Based on the available abattoirs data, cystic echinococcosis in livestock can be classified as hyper endemic in the country as the infection rate in all animal species reached almost 50% or over which fulfill the WHO criteria. Because of the absence of accurate and updated government records in all abattoirs, it is difficult to estimate the exact economic losses due to cystic hydatidosis in livestock. Diagnosis of the parasite larval stage (hydatid disease) in the living intermediate hosts (ante mortem) is basically by using imaging and serological methods, while after slaughtering the animals (post mortem), the examination of hydatid cysts can be by inspection of several expected infected organs mainly liver and lungs and to some extent other organs including spleen, kidneys, heart, brain and bones of the animal carcasses. Prevention of cystic hydatid disease primarily focusing on veterinary investigations for controlling the extent and the intensity of echinococcosis in the definitive host populations, which indirectly may lead to control the prevalence of hydatid disease in the intermediate host animals. Treatment of cystic hydatidosis in livestock is still under investigation but anti-helminthes drugs can be used. Regular treatment, taking high degree of precautions when handling pets or dealing with animal meat must be taken into consideration to minimize the level of infection and egg excretion as well as the vaccination of ruminant intermediate hosts, are all in evaluation.
Hydatid disease is one of the most and serious public health and veterinary problems in Libya and other North African countries. Thirteen rural villages of two main districts bordered to each other at the north midland of the country namely, Misrata which is almost agricultural area and about 200 km east of Tripoli and Sirt which is almost pasture area and about 500 km east of Tripoli, were included in the current study. Incidence of cystic echinococcosis was investigated serologically using serum samples collected from 2651 animals of three groups; young sheep under two years old (240), adult sheep over two years old (2082) and adult goats over two years old (329). Antigen B prepared from camel crude hydatid cyst fluid together with ELISA were used for detection of total IgG antibodies against hydatid cysts in the collected serum samples. 1377/2651 serum samples from all animal groups of both districts gave overall ELISA seropositive result of 52%. The overall ELISA seropositivity for each group of animals was 55/240 (23%), 1235/2082 (59%) and 87/329 (26%) for young sheep, adult sheep and goats (all adults) respectively. In Misrata district, the overall seropositivity was 729/1243 (59%) and among the villages it was 43% from Saso and 78% from Tawergha; while in Sirt district, the overall seropositivity was 648/1408 (46%) and among the villages it was 25% from El-Gbeba and 63% from El-Arbaien. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences in the rate of seropositivity between the three groups of animals which was 23, 59 and 26%, in young sheep, adult sheep and adult goats respectively and between the two district areas which was 59% in Misrata and 46% in Sirt. Also statistical analysis showed no significant differences in the rate of seropositivity between the different age animal groups which was 23% for young sheep and 68% for adult sheep 7-<10 yrs old and in the case of goats, it was 24% for goats 2-<4 yrs old to 29% for goats 7+ yrs old.
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