Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Retrospective Study of Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) Based on Hospital Record from Five Major Metropolitan Cities of Pakistan

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Acta Parasitologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important zoonotic parasitic disease. It is one of the NTDs having strong roots in Pakistan. There are limited studies on the prevalence of CE in Pakistan.

Method

A retrospective study was conducted to determine the geographical distribution of human CE in Punjab (Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad) and Sindh (Karachi and Hyderabad) provinces of Pakistan. Clinical records of infected patients from nine major hospitals were retrieved from 2008 to 2018.

Results

A total of 188 surgically confirmed cases were included from selected hospitals during the study period, which showed the annual frequency of 18.8 cases/year. The number of reported cases was higher in Sindh province (67.55%) compared to Punjab (32.45%). Total number of CE cases/city was higher in Karachi (47.34%) compared to Hyderabad city (20.21%), while in Punjab province, this frequency was higher in Lahore (25%) followed by Multan (5.32%) and Faisalabad (2.13%). Out of total 188 patients, 73 (38.83%) were males and 115 (61.7%) were females. In surveyed hospitals, high burden of infection was reported in young adults (21–30 years; 29.79%) followed by 21.81% and 17.02% in 31–40 and 41–50 age groups, respectively. Data retrieved from the hospital record of diagnosed cases of CE showed liver (36.17%, n = 68) as the most affected organ followed by lungs (26.06%, n = 49). In this survey, some unusual sites of cyst formation were also observed.

Conclusion

Current study is a step forward towards filling the gap of knowledge for prevalence and regional distribution of hydatidosis in Pakistan reporting the CE cases in humans for the first time in Multan and Faisalabad.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. WHO (2019) Echinococcosis. http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/echinococcosis. Accessed 28 Feb 2019

  2. Khan A, Ahmed H, Khan H, Simsek S, Afzal MS, Kilinic SG, Kesik HK, Yayi G (2018) A retrospective analysis on the cystic echinococcosis (CE) cases occurred in northeastern Punjab Province, Pakistan. Korean J Parasitol 56:1–6. https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2018.56.4.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ahmed H, Ali S, Afzal MS, Khan AA, Raza H, Shah ZH et al (2017) Why more research needs to be done on echinococcosis in Pakistan. Inf Dis Poverty 6:90. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-017-0309-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Latif AA, Tanveer A, Maqbool A, Siddiqi N, Kyaw-Tanner M, Traub RJ (2010) Morphological and molecular characterisation of Echinococcus granulosus in livestock and humans in Punjab, Pakistan. Vet Parasitol 170:44–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.02.003

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Naeem SN, Burhan H, Khan G (2015) Hydatid cyst of the cardiac interventricular septum. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 23:320–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Qian MB, Abela-Ridder B, Wu WP, Zhou XN (2017) Combating echinococcosis in China: strengthening the research and development. Infect Dis Poverty 6:161–166. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-017-0374-3

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Sharma M, Sehgal R, Fomda BA, Malhotra A, Malla N (2013) Molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus cysts in North Indian patients: identification of G1, G3, G5 and G6 genotypes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 7:e2262. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002262

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Ahmadi NA, Badi F (2011) Human hydatidosis in Tehran, Iran: a retrospective epidemiological study of surgical cases between 1999 and 2009 at two university medical centers. Trop Biomed 28:450–456

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Khan A, Ahmed H, Budke CM (2019) Echinococcosis in Pakistan: a call for research. Lancet Infect Dis 19(6):581. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1473-3099(19)30221-X

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Craig PS, McManus DP, Lightowlers MW, Chabalgoity JA, Garcia HH, Gavidia CM et al (2007) Prevention and control of cystic echinococcosis. Lancet Inf Dis 7:385–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(07)70134-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Anwar A, Shamim H, Rana H, Khan M, Qudoos A (2000) Hydatidosis: prevalence and biometrical studies in cattle (Bob Indicub). Pak J Agric Sci 37:29–32

    Google Scholar 

  12. Surhio AS, Bhutto B, Gadahi JA, Akhter N, Arijo A (2011) Studies on the prevalence of caprine and ovine hydatidosis at slaughterhouses of Larkana, Pakistan. Res Opin Anim Vet Sci 1:40–43

    Google Scholar 

  13. Iqbal HJ, Maqbool A, Lateef M, Khan MA, Riaz A, Mahmood A et al (2012) Studies on hydatidosis in sheep and goats at Lahore, Pakistan. J Anim Plant Sci 22:894–897

    Google Scholar 

  14. Shahzad W, Abbas A, Munir R, Khan MS, Avais M, Ahmad J et al (2014) A PCR analysis of prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus genotype G1 in small and large ruminants in three districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Pak J Zool 46:1541–1544

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ehsan M, Akhter N, Bhutto B, Arijo A, Gadahi JA (2017) Prevalence and genotypic characterization of bovine Echinococcus granulosus isolates by using cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) gene in Hyderabad, Pakistan. Vet Parasitol 239:80–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.04.006

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Acosta-Jamett G, Cleaveland S, Barend M, Cunningham AA, Bradshaw H, Craig PS (2010) Echinococcus granulosus infection in domestic dogs in urban and rural areas of the Coquimbo region, north-central Chile. Vet Parasitol 169:117–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.12.005

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Khan A, Naz K, Ahmed H, Simsek S, Afzal MS, Haider W et al (2018) Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to cystic echinococcosis endemicity in Pakistan. Infect Dis Poverty 7:4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-017-0383-2

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. AbdulHameed MF, Habib I, Al-Azizz SA, Robertson I (2018) A retrospective study of human cystic echinococcosis in Basrah province, Iraq. Acta Trop 178:130–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.11.011

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kebede N, Mitiku A, Tilahun G (2010) Retrospective survey of human hydatidosis in Bahir Dar, northwestern Ethiopia. East Med Health J 16:937–941

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ghartimagar D, Ghosh A, Shrestha MK, Talwar OP, Sathian B (2013) A 14 years hospital based study on clinical and morphological spectrum of hydatid disease. J Nepal Med Assoc 52:349–353

    Google Scholar 

  21. Zhang T, Zhao W, Yang D, Piao D, Huang S, Mi Y et al (2015) Human cystic echinococcosis in Heilongjiang Province, China: a retrospective study. BMC Gastroenterol 15:29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-015-0256-8

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Ernest E, Nonga HE, Kynsieri N, Cleaveland S (2010) A retrospective survey of human hydatidosis based on hospital records during the period 1990–2003 in Ngorongoro, Tanzania. Zoonoses Public Health 57:124–129. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1863-2378.2009.01297.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Abebe E, Kassa T, Bekele M, Tsehay A (2017) Intra-abdominal hydatid cyst: sociodemographic, clinical profiles, and outcomes of patients operated on at a tertiary hospital in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia. J Parasitol Res. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/4837234

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Brundu D, Piseddu T, Stegel G, Masu G, Ledda S, Masala G (2014) Retrospective study of human cystic echinococcosis in Italy based on the analysis of hospital discharge records between 2001 and 2012. Acta Trop 140:91–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2014.08.011

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Torgerson PR, Karaeva RR, Corkeri N, Abdyjaparov TA, Kuttubaev OT, Shaikenov BS (2003) Human cystic echinococcosis in Kyrgystan: an epidemiological study. Acta Trop 85:51–61

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Wen H, Vuitton L, Tuxun T, Li J, Vuitton DA, Zhang W, McManus DP (2019) Echinococcosis: advances in 21st century. Clin Microbiol Rev 32(2):e00077–18. https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00075-18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Lahmar S, Rebaï W, Boufana BS, Craig PS, Ksantini R, Daghfous A et al (2009) Cystic echinococcosis in Tunisia: analysis of hydatid cysts that have been surgically removed from patients. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 103:593–604. https://doi.org/10.1179/000349809X12502035776153

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors are very thankful to all hospitals from Punjab and Sindh provinces, Pakistan for their cooperation in the data collection.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

    Hira Muqaddas, Muhammad Arshad & Naunain Mehmood

  2. Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan

    Haroon Ahmed & Aisha Khan

  3. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Firat, 23119, Elazig, Turkey

    Sami Simsek

Authors
  1. Hira Muqaddas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Muhammad Arshad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Haroon Ahmed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Naunain Mehmood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Aisha Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sami Simsek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sami Simsek.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there was no financial or other potential conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

The study was approved by Institutional ethics committee under IRB/14-172. Case reports for histopathologically confirmed cases were collected from hospitals for which hospital management had already taken approval from each patient at the time of diagnosis/treatment for using their data in different public health studies.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Muqaddas, H., Arshad, M., Ahmed, H. et al. Retrospective Study of Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) Based on Hospital Record from Five Major Metropolitan Cities of Pakistan. Acta Parasit. 64, 866–872 (2019). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-019-00109-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-019-00109-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation