Investigates Bacterial Species Isolated from Hydatid Cyst Fluid in Sheep Livers in Basrah, Iraq

Document Type : New and original researches in the field of Microbiology.

Authors

Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Echinococcus granulosus is a zoonotic parasite responsible for hydatid cyst infection, a significant public health concern prevalent in the Middle East and other regions. This infection affects both humans and various animal species such as cattle, goats, and sheep, with dogs serving as the definitive host of Echinococcus. Objective: This study aims to isolate and identify bacteria that invade the hepatic and bile ducts and the circulation, potentially originating from hydatid cysts. Methodology: A total of 78 hydatid cyst samples were collected from the Basrah province slaughterhouse in southern Iraq. Hydatid fluid was cultured on different media, including blood agar, MacConkey agar, and nutrient agar, to isolate bacterial species. Results: Isolates of bacteria were found that Proteus spp. Emerged as the most prevalent isolate, accounting for 47%  of the total, followed closely by Shigella spp., which was detected in 37%  of the samples. In contrast, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. were less commonly identified, representing 13% and 3%, respectively. Furthermore, the chi-square statistical test yielded a highly significant result (χ² =40.66, p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest that E. granulosus oncospheres may become infected with intestinal bacteria before migrating to internal organs. These findings emphasize the potential role of secondary bacterial infections in hydatid cyst pathology and raise public health and food safety concerns.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics