Mini Review | DOI: https://doi.org/10.58489/2836-2411/026
1Kyrgyz State Medical Academy named after I.K. Akhunbaeva, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
2Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Transmissible Diseases named after E.I. Martsinovsky, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
*Corresponding Author: Raimkulov K.M.*,
Citation: Raimkulov K.M (2023). Risk Factors for Echinococcosis in the Kyrgyz Republic. Journal of Internal Medicine and Health Affairs. 2(1). DOI:10.58489/2836-2411/026
Copyright: © 2023 Raimkulov K.M, this is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Received: 12 July 2023 | Accepted: 17 September 2023 | Published: 18 September 2023
Keywords: echinococcus, cystic echinococcosis, prevalence, risk factors, transmission, endemic.
The epidemic of echinococcosis in Kyrgyzstan began after the collapse of the Soviet Union and was associated with a change in agricultural practices: the closure of large organized collective farms and the cessation of nomadic sheep breeding, which separated livestock from agriculture.The peak incidence occurred in 2014 and amounted to 20.2 per 100,000 population per year. Major disease control efforts have been made since 2008, and after 2016 there has been a slow decline in incidence. Despite these successes, the incidence remains at a high level [1, 2, 3].
In Osh, Naryn and Batken regions of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2015–2017, an ultrasound examination was conducted and 10,093 people were interviewed for potential risk factors.
The prevalence of echinococcosis in the studied regions (Naryn and Batken regions or in the districts of Osh region) ranged from 0.2% (Aravan region) to 25.2% (Nookat region). Typical risk factors such as having a dog or sheep had little effect on the risk of echinococcosis (hazard ratio, RR 1.2–1.8). The only
significant “occupational” risk factor was retired status (RR 2.12, p<0>
At the same time, a high and statistically significant risk was found from risk factors characteristic of soil-borne helminthiases - the use of well water (RR 2.0; 95% CI 1.5–2.8; p<0>
Although some of these factors could theoretically be a statistical artifact related to lifestyle, we were unable to identify such associations (for example, cat ownership and retired status).
Some districts have extremely high values of risk factors, such as horse ownership in the Kara-Kulzha region (RR 23.2; CI 6.4–84.4; p<0>
Different incidence rates and different risk profiles indicate that the echinococcosis epidemic in Kyrgyzstan is not a single holistic epidemic in terms of potential mechanisms and risk factors. Successful control of echinococcosis requires a detailed risk assessment and the development of priority interventions at least at the district level, and possibly even smaller administrative units, since some districts can greatly benefit from preventive measures, the effectiveness of which in other places will be limited. The profile of risk factors indicates that prevention should be communal rather than individual.