Prevalence of hydatidosis in slaughtered animals in Thrace, Turkey.

In this study, 640 cattle and 742 sheep slaughtered at twelve abattoirs in Thrace were investigated for hydatid cysts. The infection rate of hydatidosis was 11.6% in cattle and 3.50% in sheep. The cysts were found in 3.15% of 127 calves ( < 1 year old), in 13.6% of 513 cattle (between 1-10 years old), in 2.64% of 720 lambs ( < 1 year old) and in 31.8% of 22 sheep (between 1-6 years old). The infection rate was 23.6% in female cattle and 2.95% in male cattle while the rate was 4.50% in female sheep and 1.82% in male sheep. Out of the infected cattle, 79.7% had cysts in the lungs and 64.9%, in the liver. In infected sheep, cysts were encountered in the livers of 96.2%, in the lungs of 26.9%, and in the spleen of 3.85%. Out of infected cattle, 4.05% had fertile cysts and 23.1% of infected sheep had fertile cysts.