What is it about?
Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato, remains a significant public health concern in endemic areas of Kazakhstan. Despite global control efforts, CE persists due to insufficient deworming of dogs, the absence of control programs, and low public awareness.
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Why is it important?
The prevalence of Cystic echinococcosis (CE) in Kazakhstan is higher in young people than in adults, particularly among children aged 9–14 years. Key potential risk factors include dog ownership, lack of deworming of dogs, feeding dogs raw offal, and consumption of unwashed fruits and vegetables. All identified cases of CE were newly diagnosed. Active cysts were predominantly found in young people, while inactive cysts were evenly distributed between adults and adolescents. These data highlight the urgent need for regular deworming programs for dogs, public hygiene education, and stricter waste management.
Perspectives
We hope that the key risk factors for the development of cystic enteropathy (CE) in endemic villages of Kazakhstan identified in our study, including unrestricted access of domestic and stray dogs to raw, unprocessed meat by-products, home slaughter of livestock and improper waste disposal, insufficient frequency of dog deworming, and low public awareness of preventive measures, will facilitate coordinated efforts to develop and implement effective control and prevention strategies to implement targeted control measures and shape public health policies aimed at reducing the burden of CE in Kazakhstan.
Gulziya Ismailova
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Population-based ultrasound prevalence and risk factors for cystic echinococcosis in endemic Kazakhstan, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, March 2026, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014126.
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