Comparative biochemical, parasitological, and histopathological studies on cystic echinococcosis in infected sheep

Hydatid disease is a foremost public health and economic problem causing morbidity and mortality. This study was done to investigate the parasitological studies and biochemical and histopathological changes of hydatid cyst infection in livers of sheep. Our study was carried out prospectively on sheep slaughtered in a southern slaughterhouse, Hail city, conducted from January 2015 to December 2015 to determine the prevalence, cyst viability, and biochemical analysis of fertile and infertile hydatid fluids. Out of 53,981 slaughtered sheep, 3811 were found infected with hydatid cyst; specifically, hydatid cyst was detected in the liver of sheep. The overall infection rate in slaughtered sheep in this period (from 1 January 2015 to 30 December 2015) was 7.06%. The fertility rate of 330 examined hydatid cysts selected from the overall slaughtered sheep was observed to be 18.18%. Hydatid cyst fluid collected from fertile cyst had high levels of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, chloride, iron, and alkaline phosphatase activity but a low level of sodium, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and total protein as compared to infertile hydatid fluid. Sections from infected liver showed distinct hydatid cyst structures and fibrous tissue; also, hepatic tissue showed necrosis of variable degrees. The prevalence of cystic Echinococcus in Hail area was at an overall rate of 7.06% and the majority of cysts in sheep were infertile. Additionally, biochemical analysis of HF could be helpful for the diagnosis of hepatic hydatid cysts which have a deleterious effect on morbidity and mortality in sheep. © 2017, Springer-Verlag London.