CYSTIC ECHINOCOCCOSIS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM IN LATIN AMERICA AND NEW APPROACHES TO ITS CONTROL
2007; Volume: 1; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2218-6425
AutoresCiro Ferreira, Pilar Irabedra,
Tópico(s)Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
Resumo55 Cystic echinococcosis is a zoonosis caused by a cestode, Echinococcus granulosus, of the Taeniidae family. The adult form of the tapeworm affects canids, particularly dogs and foxes, while the larva is harbored by sheep, cattle, goats and other mammals. The disease is an important public health problem with significant economic impact in the southern part of South America, i.e., Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Peru and Bolivia. It is mainly associated with sheep production systems (Larrieu et al., 2004; Craig & Larrieu, 2006). Peru appears to have the highest infection rates in Latin America today, reporting up to 11 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. However, some endemic regions like Pasco, Junin or Huancavelica, may detect up to 34 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (Perez, 2007). Among the multiple issues that affect the parasite’s transmission and help perpetuate its endemicity, there are biological, demographic, environmental and cultural risk factors, which are worsened by husbandry systems that are highly favorable for the disease.
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