Seroprevalence of Anti-<i>Echinococcus granulosus</i> Antibodies and Risk Factors for Infection in Blood Donors from Western Romania

Abstract

Cystic echinococcosis is a worldwide-distributed zoonotic parasitic disease. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the seroprevalence and risk factors potentially associated with Echinococcus granulosus in healthy blood donors from Timis County, an endemic region in Western Romania. Serum samples were collected from 1347 Romanian blood donors. Serologic tests to determine the presence of anti-Echinococcus antibodies were performed using an anti-Echinococcus-ELISA immunoassay. Anti-Echinococcus antibodies were detected in 38 blood donors, indicating an overall seroprevalence of 2.8%. The seropositivity rate was 3.7% in females and 3.1% in blood donors residing in urban areas. The highest seropositivity was found in the age group of 31–40 years (3.6%). There were no significant differences between Echinococcus seropositivity and gender, area of residence, age, contact with dogs, or raising sheep. This serologic survey evaluated for the first time the presence of Echinococcus antibodies in healthy blood donors from Western Romania and the potential risk factors associated with echinococcosis. Our results suggest that this zoonotic infection might evolve asymptomatically in apparently healthy individuals. Further studies should be conducted in the general population to estimate the true extent of human echinococcosis and its risk factors.

Keywords

• seroprevalence
• human cystic echinococcosis
• epidemiology
• Romania
• blood donors