Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is caused by the larva of tapeworm Echinococcus spp.. Echinococcosis may develop after accidental ingestion of tapeworm eggs. The aim of this study was to examine the seroprevalence and seroincidence
of echinococcosis at the territory of the City of Niš in the last 22 years. From 1988 until the end of 1998, 1.303 patients suspected of having echinococcosis were screened serologically by indirect immunofuorescent test (IIFT-INEP Zemun, Serbia). After this period for immunodiagnosis of this parasitosis in 938 patients indirect haemogglutination assay (IHA-Siemens, Germany) or/and indirect enzymimmunoassay (ELISA-R-Biopharm, Germany) were used besides IIFT. Statisti
cal analysis was performed using the SPSS 14.0 for Windows 2003.
In the survey, 570 seropositive patients (25.%) were found. Statistically significantly higher seroprevalence (p=0.037) was obtained in the last eleven years (33.0%) when minimum two immunodiagnostic tests were used in regard to previous period of time (1988-1998=20.0%). CE seroincidence in the last 22 years was very high (10.79 per 105 inhabitants). However, in the study, the statistically significant increase of CE seroincidence (p=0.237) regarding the number of applied methods was not found.
The high seroprevalence and seroincidence of echinococcosis in inhabitants of the City of Niš suggested that clinicians and public health authorities should pay greater attention to this disease.
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