title: Prevalence of cystic echinococcosis among Muslim and Jewish populations in southern Israel.
abstract: Following a review of records at the Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) showing a recent increase in the annual incidence of hydatidosis among the Bedouin population of southern Israel, a seroepidemiological survey was conducted. A total of 1439 blood samples were collected from Bedouins and Jews living in the Negev area in southern Israel. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for immunoglobulin G, indirect haemagglutination (IHA) and immunoelectrophoresis (IEP) were used to detect anti-Echinococcus granulosus antibodies. The seroprevalence in the Bedouin group was 0.68% (7/1026), including two children under the age of 10. Among Jews, a seroprevalence of 0.5% was recorded in patients over 60 years of age only. A high rate of infection was shown in goats and sheep slaughtered in abattoirs in Bedouin localities. The results indicate that echinococcosis is a common disease in the Muslim communities of southern Israel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Youngster
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoida
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sneir
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: El-On
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007514:Islam; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007585:Jews; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G