Incidence Of Hydatid Cyst Disease In Benghazi, Libya
Echinococcosis or hydatid cyst (HC) is considered one of the major parasitic infections in Libya that causes many health problems and economic losses in communities(1). Hydatidosis is one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases in the world causing major economical and healthy problems. The agent of the disease is E granulosus, a parasite of cestodes, having its final host as dog and a variety of hosts including human as intermediate hosts(1) . The complete life cycle of Echinococcus granulosus requires two hosts. Domestic dogs act as the primary definitive host of the mature adult worms and a single infected dog may accommodate millions of adult worms within its intestines. Intermediate hosts become infected with the larval form of the parasite and include a wide range of herbivorous animals primarily sheep, goats, and horses. The life cycle is completed by the ingestion of one or more cysts and its contents by the canine host through the consumption of infected viscera of sheep and and/or other livestock. Protoscoleces released in the small intestine attach to the intestinal wall and within two months mature into adult worms capable of producing infective eggs.
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Hydatid disease, also called hydatidosis or echinococcosis, is a cyst-forming disease resulting from an infection with the metacestode, or larval form, of parasitic dog tapeworms from the genus Echinococcus. To date, five species of Echinococcus have been characterized. The vast majority of human diseases are from Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multioccularis which cause cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis, respectively. Millions of people worldwide are affected by human hydatid disease. This report will cover the treatment of this disease, its incidence in Libya preceded by the life cycle of the causative agent.
