Indirect hemagglutination seropositivity and residential distribution in suspected cystic echinococcosis: a tertiary care hospital study

Abstract

Aim Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the major zoonotic infections of public health importance in Türkiye. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) seropositivity among patients with suspected CE and to investigate its relationship with the Socio-Economic Development Ranking (SEDR) levels of districts in Ankara. Methods This study included 2,725 patients who underwent IHA testing for suspected CE between 2024 and 2025. The demographic and geographical distribution of seropositivity and its association with SEDR levels across Ankara districts were analyzed. Results Of the 2,725 patients included in the study, 43.2% were male, and the median age was 52 years. The overall IHA seropositivity rate was 11.0% (300/2,725). Seropositivity rates were 10.9% in males and 11.1% in females, with no significant difference between genders (P = .85). Seropositivity was lowest in the 0–17 years group (7.3%) and highest in the 18–40 years group (15.5%) (P < .001). Among patients residing in Ankara, the IHA seropositivity rate was 9.3%. SEDR rankings were not associated with seropositivity in Ankara (rho = 0.038, P = .07). Conclusion The observed seropositivity rate of 11.0% is consistent with hospital-based data reported from Türkiye. In this hospital-based cohort, the absence of a significant association between district-level SEDR rankings and IHA seropositivity suggests that CE seropositivity among tested patients cannot be explained solely by socioeconomic development indicators. These findings support the need for a broader evaluation of environmental and epidemiological factors in patients with suspected CE. However, they should not be interpreted as reflecting population-level risk or disease prevalence.