The Survey of Zoonotic Aspects of Some Parasitic Diseases in the Czech Republic

B.Sc. Shavkat Azimov

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Diseases transmitted from vertebrates to humans are referred to as zoonoses. The aim of this work was focused on evidence and zoonotic aspects of parasitic developmental stages: Cysticercus bovis in cattle and echinococcus in foxes. A post-mortem inspection of cattle and a laboratory examination of the developmental parasitic stages of both zoonoses were carried out. The prevalence of cysticercosis/taeniosis in the Czech Republic and human alveolar echinococcosis in the Czech Republic and individual EU countries, were also monitored. The informations were obtained from the scientific databases from the domestic (EPIDAT and SVS CR) and European (ECDC) databases. No positive findings in Cysticercus bovis inactive (infectious) or inactive (calcified) parasitic stages were recorded in the cattle slaughterhouse during the year 2016. In the years 2010-2016, total amount of 224,185 cattle carcases (chewing muscles and heart) were examined in the same slaughterhouse. Only 24 cases were positive (0.01%) and Cysticercus bovis was detected. A higher prevalence of cysticercosis (0.003-0.02%) was reported between 2010-2014 (1-8 cases), the lowest prevalence was confirmed in 2015-2016 (0%). Although the outbreak of taeniosis in the Czech population was reported in 2013 in 30 cases (prevalence of 0.03%), in the following years there was also a gradual decline in positive case reporting in people with this diagnosis. Nowadays, there was no increase in cysticercosis or taeniosis in the Czech Republic. A high prevalence of echinococcosis (33%) was demonstrated in cats and foxes testing in 2011, compared to 2010, when the prevalence of 22% was recorded in the Czech Republic. During the 2011-2012 reporting period, the zero prevalence of human alveolar echinococcosis was reported as well as in the six reported cases from EU databases (2014). The statistical evaluation revealed that the lowest number of positive cases of human alveolar echinococcosis was recorded in Central European countries, in Northern and Western Europe. However, the highest incidence was recorded mainly in southern European countries. In those countries, where the occurrence of cysticercosis and echinococcosis is sporadic, the potential sources of infection and the route of spreading from other regions or countries must still be carefully monitored to ensure biosecurity.

Keywords

cysticercosis, taeniosis, alveolar echinococcosis, post mortem examination, prevalence, Czech Republic, EU

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 27. 4. 2018

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 5. 6. 2017
• Supervisor: prof. MVDr. Daniela Lukešová, CSc.
• Reader: Alica Kočišová, Bc., externi

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / field:
Tropical Agriculture / Animal and Food Sciences in Tropics and Subtropics