Scoping review protocol on control strategies for Echinococcus granulosus

Abstract

Introduction: Cystic echinococcosis (CE), previously known as hydatidosis, is one of the most important zoonotic parasitic diseases of humans and livestock caused by the larval stage of the canine tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. Cystic echinococcosis has great economic and public health significance with a worldwide distribution. It is listed among the most severe parasitic diseases in humans, representing one of the 17 neglected diseases prioritised by the World Health Organisation. Methods and analyses: This study will review the literature on Echinococcus granulosus control strategies until 2022. This will be achieved by searching for English, Spanish, and Portuguese peer-reviewed articles in the following electronic databases MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Global Index Medicus to locate the relevant articles. We will perform a grey literature search including the American Society of Tropical Medicine Annual Conference Abstract Book from 2017 to 2022, the World Association of Echinococcosis Congress Abstract Book from 2017 to 2022, Google Scholar (first 200 hits), and review the references of the selected articles. No restrictions on study design will be applied. We will develop a systematic search strategy using a combination of keywords and Boolean operators AND/OR. Eligibility screening and data extraction will be conducted by two independent reviewers, and disagreements resolved by a third independent reviewer. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical review is not required as scoping reviews are a form of secondary data analysis that synthesizes data from public available sources. Review findings will be shared with researchers, public health authorities, and other relevant stakeholders and disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations. This protocol is registered on the Open Science Framework (www.osf.io) with DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/48AZR.