The Molecular Epidemiology of Cystic and Alveolar Echino-coccosis Disease in Southeast Turkey

The migration of humans and climatic and environmental changes cause the emergence of infectious diseases. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the molecular epidemiology of the Echinococcosis disease in the southeast region of Turkey after migrations.

Overall, 159 tissues samples were taken from suspected cases of Echinococcosis at the Kilis State Hospital in the southeast region of Turkey. All of the tissues samples were analyzed using histopathology methods, PCR, Real-time PCR methods, DNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses in laboratories.

The positivity values of the histopathology, the polymerase chain reaction, and the Real-time PCR methods were found to be 14.5% (23/159), 15.7% (25/159), and 16.9% (27/159), respectively. 32.0 % (8/25) E. multilocularis of Echinococcus isolates and 68% (17/25) E. granulosus of Echinococcus isolates were identified using PCR methods. 58.8% (10/17) of the E. granulosus isolates were found to be Genotype 1% and 41.2% (7/17) E. granulosus isolates were found to be Genotype 3.

Molecular methods play an important role in the epidemiology, treatment, and diagnosis of diseases. Increasing immigration in a geographical area may create social, economic, and health problems in that area. For this reason, epidemiological studies of infectious diseases should be updated in areas with immigration.