Research Note
Human alveolar echinococcosis in Slovenia

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2007.01701.xGet rights and content
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ABSTRACT

Between January 2001 and December 2005, 1263 patients suspected of having echinococcosis were screened serologically by indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA). IHA-positive patient sera were then retested by western blot for confirmation and differentiation between Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis infection. Of 43 sera confirmed as Echinococcus-positive, nine appeared to be specific for alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by E. multilocularis. AE-positive serological results corresponded to the clinical and/or imaging findings concerning the patients' liver cysts. The detected incidence of AE was 0.45/105 inhabitants, which suggests that clinicians and health authorities in Slovenia should give greater attention to AE in the future.

Keywords

Alveolar echinococcosis
diagnosis
Echinococcus
indirect haemaglutination assay
Slovenia
western blot

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