Echinococcosis is the major helminthic parasitic infestation in Iran. The health hazard and economic loss in man and livestock is significant. Human infection does not occur from eating infected offal. People usually become infected by accidentally swallowing the tape worm eggs passed in dog faeces. A human acts as an intermediate host in the some way as a sheep, horse or cattle. The eggs travel through the blood stream, lodge in organs and form watery cysts full of tape worm heads. This is known as hydatid disease or echinococcosis. Hydatid disease is not contagious and is not passed by person to person contact. The symptoms of hydatid disease depend on which organs are affected. The most commonly affected organ is the liver. The kidneys, brain and lungs are sometimes affected. In rare cases, hydatid cysts may form in the thyroid gland or heart or within bone. In study two major topics as the prevalence of hydatid cyst in human population and in livestock were studied. Total of 250 serum samples in different age groups in Sarab city in Northwest of Iran were examined by indirect Immunoflurecent test (IFA). In Sarab city 3.2% of serum samples were positive for hydatidosis. In livestock using abattoir inspection infestation rate was 32.4, 26.8, 19.1 and 17.5% for goat, cattle, sheep and buffalo, respectively.
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