[Echinococcosis in the Republic of Bashkortostan]

In 1998 to 2008, the Republic of Bashkortostan officially notified 174 cases of echinococcosis, including 43 cases in children less than 14 years of age. The patients' age varied from 6 to 75 years. Among the patients, the proportion of children was 25%; out of them schoolchildren accounted for 95%. Able-bodied persons aged 20 to 55 years suffered from echinococcosis in 55% of cases. 63.3% of the patients were males while 36.7% were females. The disease cases were recorded in 46 of 63 municipal areas of the republic. Morbidity rates in the rural areas were 2.8 times greater than those in the urban ones. In the past 5 years, the morbidity rate in the Republic of Bashkortostan increased by 16 times (from 0.1 cases per 100,000 population in 2004 to 1.6 in 2008). It exceeded the average federal rate by 2.3 times in 2006 (0.9 in Bashkorstan and 0.4 in the Russian Federation) and by 4 times in 2008 (1.6 and 0.4, respectively). By using the morphological characteristics, genome typing by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay, and electrophoretic analysis of selected samples, the authors established that E. granulosus strain G1 genotype (total, sheep strain) causing cystic hydatid disease (echinococcosis) in the republic's population. The echinococcosis affliction rate for agricultural animals in the republic was as follows: 3.1-3.5% in cattle, 4.4-6.1% in small cattle, and 0.5-1.3% in pigs.