BACKGROUND: Cystic echinococosis (CE) is known to be one of the most important zoonotic diseases in different parts of Iran. Even though it causes major health problems, there is limited information regarding its transmission cycles and strain of this infection in eastern Iran. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to characterize the strain of Echinococcus granulosus cysts in the slaughtered sheep and goats in Birjand area using morphological and molecular criteria. METHODS: Isolates of E. granulosus were collected from sheep (30) and goats (30) from Birjand slaughterhouse and characterized employing both DNA (PCR-RFLP of ITS1) and morphological criteria (metacestode rostellar hook dimensions). In addition, the fragments of the genes coding for ITS-1 were sequenced. RESULTS: Among the two different identified strains/genotypes (sheep and camel), the sheep strain appeared to be the most common genotype of E. granulosus affecting sheep and goats. All of the 30 sheep samples and 20 out of 30 goat samples were infected with sheep strain. However, the camel genotype was only observed in the goats and 10 out of 30 goat isolates were infected with the camel genotype. The camel genotypes had RFLP patterns, which were different from the RFLP patterns of the rest of isolates (sheep strain). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study revealed that the ‘sheep’ strain was the most prevalent strain in sheep and goats in this area. Moreover, the camel genotype (G6) was confirmed to trigger infection in the slaughtered goats of Birjand area.

Cystic echinococcosis is a worldwide zoonotic infection that triggers significant economic losses in animals. The study’s goal was to reveal the infection with hydatid cysts in animals slaughtered in Elbehera Governorate, Egypt, as well as perform histopathology and molecular characterization of camel cysts using the cox-1 and G1Y162 genes. Elbehera governorate had a total prevalence of 0.35%. Kom-Hamada abattoir had the highest prevalence of 1.7%. Camels had the highest prevalence of 2.17% among the examined animals. Summer had the highest prevalence, at 0.55%. Females had a higher prevalence than males, except for camels. The older animals were infected at a higher rate than the younger ones, except for the buffalo. Location and season had a significant impact on the prevalence, while sex only impacted the prevalence in cattle and buffaloes. The lung had a higher infection than the liver. The cox-1 and G1Y162 genes PCR reactions provided specific DNA bands, and the sequences were for Echinococcus canadensis. The phylogenetic tree of cox-1 indicated that the Egyptian sequence of Elbehera governorate belongs to genotype 6 (G6) of the Echinococcus complex. The sequence shared an identity percentage of up to 99% with previous Egyptian sequences and other E. canadensis in camels from Iran, Mauritania, Algeria, and Sudan. The phylogenetic tree of the G1Y162 protein sequences confirmed that the Egyptian sequence is E. canadensis. Due to the presence of cysts of zoonotic Echinococcus species in slaughtered animals, stringent health regulations are required to prevent infection in animals and humans.

A rare case is presented of a 58-year-old woman who developed ahepatic-bronchopleural fistula following a hydatid hepatic cyst complication. The hepatic-bronchopleural fistula was diagnosed when patient complained of severe repetitive attacks of productive cough of brown yellow to dark colour sputum biliptysis (bile in cough) with vomiting associated with night sweating and fever, for the past one month. She also complained of right side chest and abdominal pain for the past 3 years. This paper describes a unique case of hepatic-bronchopleural fistula caused by hydatid disease, emphasising the clinical feature and its surgical management. Hydatid disease is a zoonotic infection dueto the damage caused by Echinococcus granulosus. E. granulosus, also called the hydatid worm, hyper tape-worm or dog tapeworm, is a cyclophyllid cestode that parasitises the small intestine of canids as an adult, but which has important intermediate hosts such as livestock and humans, where it causes cystic echinococcosis, also known as hydatid disease. It is hoped thatthis case report will add to the meagre case management reports of hepaticbronchopleural fistula in literature.

The hydatid cyst is considered a hazardous obstacle for public health and the livestock industry. The present investigation sought to ascertain the prevalence of hydatid cysts, histopathology, and economic losses in slaughtered food animals in Egypt's Minoufyia governorate. Furthermore, the molecular characterization of the cysts was performed using an analysis of the NADH dehydrogenase 1 sequence. Visual meat inspection of 6417 slaughtered animal carcasses in Minoufyia Governorate abattoirs was conducted over two years, from March 2019 to February 2021. The prevalence of hydatid cysts in slaughtered animals was 1.48%. The prevalence in different animal carcasses was 1.5% in sheep, 1.33% in cattle, 0.71% in buffaloes, and 9.5% in camels while cyst was not detected in goats. Females had a higher prevalence than males. Autumn had the highest prevalence of hydatid cysts at 0.44%, followed by winter at 0.40%, spring at 0.39%, and summer at 0.25%. The liver and lungs were the most infected organs, with infection rates of 57.9% and 42.1%, respectively. In addition, the histopathology of recovered hydatid cysts was recorded. The sequence analysis of NADH dehydrogenase revealed that the sequence of camel and cattle is E. canadensis and the buffalo sequence is E. ortleppi. The phylogenetic tree revealed that Echinococcus canadensis from Egyptian camels and cattle belonged to the same taxon as genotypes 6-10 of the E. granulosus complex. The E. ortleppi sequence from Egyptian buffalo was found in the same clade as genotype 5 of the E. granulosus complex. The economic costs of organ condemnation amounted to 47320 EGP. The results of this survey present the prevalence, economic impact, and molecular characterization of hydatid cysts from animals in Minoufyia governorate, Egypt.  Strict hygienic measures are needed to control this infection in food animals and humans.