Childhood hydatid disease in the Setifi High Plateaux

Pediatric hydatidology occupies a large part of the activities of a young pediatric surgery department in a region marked by its ancestral agropastoral vocation. This is clearly demonstrated by the hospital survey of 218 cases collected over a period of 8 years, the results of which are in line with those of other large series, notably the predominance of males and the predominance of pulmonary localization. The active screening survey, aimed at determining the prevalence of the disease, gave a rate of 7.4 p.1000, a figure which places Algeria among the most infested countries. Comparison of the two surveys revealed that thousands more asymptomatic children are affected by hydatid disease. This work fills the gap in epidemiological data in Algeria in general, and in the High Plateaux in particular. It also opens up the prospect of less costly therapeutic strategies, and above all the possibility of further epidemiological studies on a larger scale, in order to better establish a prevention policy capable of overcoming this disease, which is considered a major public health problem.