[Evaluation of materials sent due to suspected cystic echinococcosis to the parasitology laboratory of Ondokuz Mayıs University Medical School between the Years 2005-2011].

OBJECTIVE: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important health problem common in our country. In this study, anti-Echinococcus granulosus IgG antibodies were investigated in the serum samples of 454 patients who attended the Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Parasitology between 2005 and 2011.
METHODS: IHA (Fumouze, France) and ELISA (R-Biopharm, Germany) tests were performed at the same time.
RESULTS: While serum samples from 328 patients (72%) were negative with both tests, 81 samples (18%) were found to be positive with both tests. Forty (49%) cases were female, 41 (51%) cases were male who were positive by both tests. 25 (31%) positive cases were between 31 and 50 years old. While IHA was negative for 33 patients (7%) ELISA was positive for the same samples. In 2 patients (0.4%), both tests revealed low-positivity.
CONCLUSION: Using these two tests together for serologic detection of cystic echinococcosis could be recommended because of the high sensitivity and specificity ratios.