A preliminary screening study on human cystic echinococcosis in Cairo slaughter house personnel.

A descriptive serological screening study was done on human cystic echinococcosis (CE) in high risk groups selected from Cairo slaughter house employees and the household nearby using indirect haemagglutination (IHA) and enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) tests. Characterized camel hydatid cyst fluid (HCF) antigen by 12.5% sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was used. Three asymptomatic clinical cases (1.3%) were seropositive using EITB assay (reacting with six HCF protein bands of molecular weights approximately 7, 21, 28, 35, 127 and 210 kilodaltons 'kDa') but one case was seronegative by the IHA test. All three cases had typical lesions of CE in liver and lung revealed by abdominal ultrasonography (US), computerized tomography (CT) scan and chest X-ray. The prevalence of CE in Cairo slaughter house workers was 1.6% versus 1.1% in the household nearby.