Khan Muhammad Irfan, Ali Rahmat, Ji Dejun, Lan Wei, Saleh Ahmed A, Rehman Shahab Ur, Shuaib Muhammad, Ahmad Shah Zeb, Wu Xi
College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Animal and Fish Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture (Al-Shatby), Alexandria University, Alexandria City 11865, Egypt.
Animals (Basel). 2025 May 30;15(11):1617. doi: 10.3390/ani15111617.
Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is a significant zoonotic parasitic disease caused by cestode parasites, affecting a variety of animals, including humans and wildlife, with serious implications for public health. In Pakistan, CE continues to pose a considerable public health challenge, impacting the livestock sector and wildlife conservation due to its economic and socio-cultural ramifications. This study aimed to examine the frequency of lesions indicative of cysts in livestock across several slaughterhouses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with the data collection occurring from May 2022 to February 2024. A total of 1120 animals, including 455 buffaloes, 295 cows, 200 sheep, and 170 goats, were assessed. The overall CE prevalence was found to be 5.7% (95% CI: 4.3-7.0%; 63 out of 1120), with the highest frequency in buffaloes (6.6%; 95% CI: 4.3-8.9%) and the lowest in goats (2.9%; 95% CI: 0.4-5.5%). Female animals demonstrated a higher infection rate (6.3%; 95% CI: 4.4-8.1%) compared to males (4.7%; 95% CI: 2.8-6.7%), with the liver being the most frequently affected organ (55.0%; 95% CI: 41.7-66.3%). Additionally, a survey of 200 respondents revealed that 74.5% of farmers were unaware of CE, and only 14.5% were taking preventive measures against parasites. These findings suggest a potential decline in the prevalence of this parasitic disease, likely due to advancements in veterinary services and modern farming practices.
囊型包虫病（CE）是由绦虫寄生虫引起的一种重要的人畜共患寄生虫病，影响包括人类和野生动物在内的多种动物，对公共卫生具有严重影响。在巴基斯坦，囊型包虫病继续构成重大的公共卫生挑战，因其经济和社会文化影响而对畜牧业和野生动物保护产生影响。本研究旨在调查开伯尔-普赫图赫瓦省（KP）多个屠宰场牲畜中囊肿病变的发生频率，数据收集时间为2022年5月至2024年2月。共评估了1120只动物，包括455头水牛、295头奶牛、200只绵羊和170只山羊。囊型包虫病的总体患病率为5.7%（95%置信区间：4.3 - 7.0%；1120只中有63只），水牛中的患病率最高（6.6%；95%置信区间：4.3 - 8.9%），山羊中的患病率最低（2.9%；95%置信区间：0.4 - 5.5%）。雌性动物的感染率（6.3%；95%置信区间：4.4 - 8.1%）高于雄性动物（4.7%；95%置信区间：2.8 - 6.7%），肝脏是最常受影响的器官（55.0%；95%置信区间：41.7 - 66.3%）。此外，对200名受访者的调查显示，74.5%的农民不知道囊型包虫病，只有14.5%的农民采取了预防寄生虫的措施。这些发现表明这种寄生虫病的患病率可能有所下降，这可能归因于兽医服务的进步和现代养殖方式。
