Evaluation of the Seroprevalence of Cystic Echinococcosis by the Indirect Hemagglutination (IHA) Method at Balıkesir University Faculty of Medicine: A Seven-year Analysis

Objective: species complex. The aim of our study is to determine the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in our hospital and to reveal the regional epidemiological characteristics of the disease based on the obtained data. Methods: In this study, 526 serum samples sent to the medical microbiology laboratory from various hospital departments and outpatient clinics with suspected cystic echinococcosis between 01.07.2018 and 01.07.2025 were evaluated. A commercial ELI.H.A Echinococcus (ELITech Microbio, France) kit was used. The clinical diagnosis, gender, age, delivery department, and demographic characteristics of the patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among the 526 patients evaluated in the study, 302 (57.4%) were female. Of the total applications, 60.5% originated from the general surgery outpatient clinic. Using the IHA test, seropositivity was detected in 21.5% of the 526 patients. When the distribution according to antibody titers was examined, the antibody levels detected in the serum samples were as follows: 6.8% (n=36) at 1/80, 6.1% (n=32) at 1/160, 4% (n=21) at 1/320, 4.9% (n=26) at 1/640, 3.8% (n=20) at 1/1280, 2.8% (n=15) at 1/2560, and 5.9% (n=31) at 1/5120. Among the 90 patients with available clinical data for cystic echinococcosis, the liver was identified as the most frequently involved organ (95.5%). Among 76 patients with available cyst size measurements, most cysts measured 51-100 mm (48.6%). According to the World Health Organization-IWGE classification, CE3b was the most common stage (23.6%). Conclusion: The obtained data indicate that cystic echinococcosis remains an important public health problem in Balıkesir. Therefore, in light of these findings, it is necessary to strengthen healthcare services for the diagnosis and follow-up of the disease and to place greater emphasis on preventive measures.