title: Seroepidemiology of Human Hydatidosis Using AgB-ELISA Test in Arak, Central Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  On the continuation of sorting the puzzle of the situation of hydatid disease in Iran and considering that so far no survey was conducted in this context in Arak City, Markazi Province central Iran, the present study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of human hydatidosis using AgB-ELISA test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 578 serum samples randomly were collected from patients referred to hospitals and different health centers in the city and 3 nearby villages of Arak. All sera were examined by ELISA tests using AgB. Before sampling, a questionnaire was filled out for each case. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression for risk factors analysis. P<0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cut-off value was calculated 0.32. Twenty cases (3.46%) were seropositive for hydatidosis in the region. This rate for females was 3.99% and for males 2.26%, respectively. There was no significant difference as regards all factors studied except location (P<0.001). As for job, farmers and ranchmen had the highest rate of infection as 6.67%. The seropositivity rate infection was 4.8% in illiterate people, which showed the highest rate. As regards residency, rural life showed significant difference with urban life (1.5% vs. 7 %). Age group of 40-49 yr old (6.25%) had the highest rate of positivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of prevalence in this region shows more or less the same range with other cities of Iran. Obtained result might assist the policy makers to take sanitary measures to control the disease.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asghari
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohebali
authors.forename: Eshrat Beigom
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Kia
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farahnak
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aryaeipour
authors.forename: Samieh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asadian
authors.forename: Mohammad Bagher
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rokni
keywords: ELISA; Human hydatidosis; Iran; Seroepidemiology