ECHINOCOCCOSIS: THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN 2024

Echinococcosis is a natural focal zoonotic helminthiasis. Most patients are people of working age, which entails socio-economic losses. This paper analyzed expedited reports and epidemiological survey cards of a focus of the parasitic disease, echinococcosis, in 2024. In 2024, 493 cases of cystic echinococcosis (CE) were recorded in 59 Russian constituent entities and 77 alveococcosis patients (AE) were recorded in 24 regions. The analysis of 366 epidemiological survey cards from 50 Russian constituent entities showed that women predominated in the gender structure of echinococcosis patients, namely, 58.8% of CE patients and 62.5% of AE patients. The proportion of urban residents with CE was 65.9%, AE, 60.7%. People of working age predominated. Forty-eight cases of CE were registered in children under 17 years of age (10.6%). In 2024, 6 deaths from CE (mortality rate 1.2%) and 5 deaths from AE (mortality rate 6.5%) were recorded. The analysis of epidemiological survey cards found that the main death causes were refusals of medical care and late visits of patients to medical facilities. A long asymptomatic period of invasion, a significant number of advanced forms of the infection, and active migration of Russian population both within the country and in neighboring countries significantly complicate the epidemiological monitoring. Cases of echinococcosis were recorded in the territory of diagnosis; therefore, the largest number of cases was recorded in Moscow.