Gross and histopathological alterations associated with cystic echinococcosis in cattle

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) or hydatidosis or hydatid disease is an important and neglected zoonotic disease of helminths that threatens animal and human health worldwide including in India.It is linked with major economic losses in the livestock sector and causes a most important disease in humans [1].In humans, the Foodborne disease burden epidemiology reference group of the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that each year CE costs 184,000 disability-adjusted life years throughout the world [2].Further, it is estimated that the range from 50 to 100 per 100,000 personyears in endemic foci, with 5 to 10% frequencies in certain areas of Argentina, Peru, eastern Africa, Central Asia, and China [3,4].In production animals, worldwide annual losses are estimated at 2 billion dollars mainly due to the losses in carcass weight, fecundity, milk production, and wool or hide production [5].ABSTRACT: Cystic Echinococcosis also known as 'Hydatidosis' is significant helminthic zoonoses that continue to be an important problem in terms of animal as well as public health.A twelve years old, Holstein Friesian crossbred cow was presented to the Veterinary Polyclinic, Lalhri, District Una, Himachal Pradesh for post-mortem examination.External examination revealed pale-yellow mucous membranes with cachexia.Internal examination revealed the presence of variable numbers and sizes of monolocular and multilocular hydatid cysts affecting the vital organs viz.lungs, liver, and spleen.On cut sections, the cysts were also found deeply embedded within the parenchyma and containing protoscolices inside the fluidfilled cavity.Histopathologically, the affected organs revealed moderate to severe congestion, mononuclear cell infiltration, extensive fibrosis, degeneration, and atrophic changes in the parenchyma adjacent to the cyst.The present investigation reports an event of cystic echinococcosis affecting multiple organ systems leading to the death of cattle in Himachal Pradesh, India.