Open AccessMorbidity pattern of hydatid disease (cystic echinococcosis) and lack of its knowledge in patients attending Mamata General Hospital, Khammam, Andhra Pradesh
Author(s) -
S Suguna Hemachander,
CRajendra Prasad,
M Jessica
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
indian journal of pathology and microbiology (print)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.217
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 0974-5130
pISSN - 0377-4929
DOI - 10.4103/0377-4929.40429
Subject(s) - medicine , abdomen , echinococcosis , disease , cystic echinococcosis , meconium , echinococcus , pregnancy , pathology , veterinary medicine , surgery , fetus , biology , genetics
There is hearsay that prevalence of hydatid disease in Khammam and Nalgonda districts of Andhra Pradesh is high. We report here a preliminary study conducted to determine the magnitude of the problem of hydatid disease and the morbidity associated with it in patients attending MGH, KMM, A.P. (rural hospital). Eleven cases were identified during the period from November 2005 to May 2006 (seven months). Pain in abdomen, mass per abdomen, loss of appetite, pregnancy complicated by cystic echinococcosis (CE), and jaundice were the main clinical symptoms and signs. Ultrasonography, detection and removal of the cysts on the operation table, microscopic examination of the aspirated hydatid fluid were confirmatory. Ziehl-Neelsen stain of the aspirated fluid revealed acid-fast scolices. Interrogation of the patients and their family members (50) revealed that there was a total lack of knowledge of dog-tapeworm-caused infection in humans. They knew 'rabies' as the only disease man gets from dogs, and tapeworms are from pork and beef.