The Epidemiologicalscenarioof echinococcosis in the Abruzzo region

Echinococcosis is still one of the most common parasitic disease in Italy and has important consequences on economic retums, productivity and public health. Although it is a notifiable disease, the lack of notifications in the Abruzzo region is an obstacle to tracing a reliable epidemiological picture of this parasitic disease in humans and livestock. A statistical survey and a molecular study were carried out to update figures and facts (e.g. prevalence in ruminants and dogs and risk factors) and to gather more information (i.e. kind and viability of cysts, strain/genotypes and reliability of coproantigen test) regarding the epidemiological scenario of echinococcosis in intermediate and definitive hosts in Abruzzo region.