[An epidemiological study on the relations of patients with hydatid disease. A high-risk population?]

A serological study was undertaken by means of indirect hemagglutination (IHA) in 57 households of eleven patients with confirmed pulmonary hydatidosis (by serology and surgical procedure). Serum samples from 40 blood donors were used as control group. The IHA positivity rates were 90.8%, 40.3% (23/57) and 2.5% (1/40) in patients with hydatidosis, households of these patients and blood donors (control group). Hydatidosis was confirmed in 4 out of 23 cases of IHA positive households. The high incidence by IHA in households living with patients with hydatid disease can be a good screening parameter to identify a high-risk asymptomatic population carrying the disease at an early phase.