PREVALENCE OF HYDATID CYSTS IN LIVESTOCK FROM 5 REGIONS OF JORDAN

When the prevalences of cystic echinococcosis in indigenous sheep, goa ts, cattle and camels from five regions of Jordan were investigated, f rom March to December 1992, they were found to be 12.9%, 12.7%, 0.9% a nd 11%, respectively. They were substantially higher in sheep from Kar ak (27.6%) and in cattle from central Jordan (18.0% in Amman and 14.3% in Sahab) than in the same animals in other regions. Age-intensity da ta indicated that the parasite population is endemic in sheep and catt le and hyperendemic in goats. Infection rate increased steadily with a ge in sheep, but became constant in goats and cattle when they were ab out 2 years of age. The most common locations of cysts were the liver in sheep and goats and the lungs in cattle. Go-infection of the liver and lungs was common in sheep and cattle. Although the majority of the sheep, cattle and goats had 1-10 cysts, 20.4% of the sheep and 22.2% of the cattle had 11-50 and 11-30 cysts, respectively. Although 38.1% of the cysts in sheep were fertile, only 8.7% of the cattle cysts and 4.5% of the goat cysts were in this condition. The overall mean number of protoscolices/sheep cyst was 2.7 x 10(3); although the liver cysts had more protoscolices than the lung cysts (3.2 x 10(3) v. 1.9 x 10(3 )/cyst), more of the lung cysts were viable (71.1% v. 62.3%). Some 0.2 % of 13 436 sheep and 6.1% of 786 cattle imported live into Jordan wer e infected with hydatid-cysts; 16.3% of the sheep cysts (61.4% viable) and 9.6% of the cattle cysts (76.1% viable) were fertile.