Human Hydatidosis in South Bulgaria - Plovdiv and Pazardzhik provinces

Human hydatidosis is most significant parasitic disease in medical and social aspect for Bulgaria. Although almost two-fold reduction in its incidence over the past decade as a result of the National Programme for Control of Echinococcosis in Humans and Animals conducted in the period 2004-2008, the number of cases and the incidence of the disease in the country are much higher than those in other European countries. The book represents ¿ study on human hydatidosis in people living in Plovdiv and Pazardzhik provinces ¿ a large part of Central South Bulgaria, for a 10-year period (2007-2016). It shows the main epidemiological characteristics such as the incidence of hydatidosis, organ location of hydatid cysts, age, sex, residence of the patients with the disease, recurrences of it. The study analyses the dynamics in their change over the years. Attention is paid to hydatidosis in children and adolescents (under the age of 19) as an indicator for the presence of active parasitic foci. The need for continuation of the preventive measures against this parasitic disease is discussed and some specific activities are proposed.