Seroprevalence of human hydatid cyst: a cross sectional study in a rural areas of Zahedan, southeastern Iran.

Hydatidosis or cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most common zoonosis diseases. Iran is one of the endemic regions in terms of this disease. For the first time, the present study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of hydatid cyst in Zahedan rural areas due to the importance of human CE and lack of information in this region. The present study was performed on 551 people referred to seven rural health centers in Zahedan during 2019-2020. Serum samples were collected and analyzed by indirect ELISA method using recombinant antigen B subunit B8/1. Results were analyzed by SPSS (version 22) software and Chi-square test. The CE seroprevalence was 4%. The most positive cases were in the age group of 10-30 years. The highest infection was reported in homemakers. A significant relationship (P-value<0.05) was only reported between the seropositivity to hydatid cyst and the presence of dogs in the environment. The present study's findings indicated human hydatid cyst in rural areas of Zahedan is a health problem; moreover, the control and prevention principles and analysis of various epidemiological aspects of this disease should be considered.