Hydatidosis-echinococcosis in Greece.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Public Health
• Zoonotic Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Hydatidosis, caused by Echinococcus granulosus, poses a substantial threat to public health and the livestock economy in Greece.
• The disease has a long history of prevalence, with a surgical incidence rate of 12.9 per 100,000 inhabitants in the pre-1984 era.
• High infection rates were observed in farm animals, including 82% in cattle and 80% in sheep.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and summarize available data on hydatidosis in Greece since 1970.
• To assess the impact of the Greek anti-echinococcosis campaign initiated in 1984.
• To document the prevalence and trends of Echinococcus granulosus infection in livestock and humans.

Main Methods:

• Review of historical data on hydatidosis incidence and prevalence in Greece.
• Analysis of infection rates in cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs before and after the intervention campaign.
• Examination of seroprevalence data in human populations and livestock surveillance data from an EU project.

Main Results:

• Pre-campaign prevalence in farm animals: 82% cattle, 80% sheep, 24% goats, 5% pigs.
• Northern Greece survey (1994): CE prevalence 100% sheep, 56.6% cattle, 15.4% goats, 9.3% pigs; sheep had higher rates of fertile cysts.
• Post-1998 EU project surveillance: CE prevalence 31.3% sheep, 10.3% goats, 0.6% pigs, 0% cattle.
• Human seroprevalence (1988-1999) reached up to 29%.

Conclusions:

• Hydatidosis/echinococcosis persists as a significant zoonotic issue in Greece.
• Continued surveillance and intervention measures are essential to monitor infection trends.
• Eliminating the risk to human health requires ongoing efforts to control Echinococcus granulosus in livestock populations.