Prevalence of hydatid in buffaloes in India and report of a severe liver infection.

Of 3200 buffaloes examined at Bareilly abattoir 915 (28.6%) were positive for hydatidosis. The hydatid infected organs were lungs (60%), liver (32%), spleen (4%), kidneys (2%), heart (0.9%) and brain (0.1%). The number of hydatid cysts encountered in lungs of an individual buffalo was 1-9 and 1-7 in liver. One buffalo liver showed severe hepatomegaly, cirrhosis and had an exceptionally high number of hydatid cysts. Infectivity studies in pups showed 16-29 per cent worm establishment with the presence of shelled eggs within the uterus of the parasite on day 45 post-infection.