Abattoir Surveillance of Suspected Cystic Echinococcosis in Cattle: Insights From Molecular Analysis in a Hypoendemic Area.

Abstract

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease of global public health impact. In hypoendemic regions, the epidemiological role of cattle as intermediate hosts remains unclear, and routine abattoir-based surveillance may overestimate prevalence due to diagnostic limitations. This study integrated a retrospective and prospective study of CE in cattle from the hypoendemic areas of Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions (northern Italy) based on postmortem surveillance at slaughterhouses. Retrospective data were analyzed over four years (2021-2024), and the prospective study was performed in 2025, combining macroscopic inspection with anatomopathological and molecular analyses to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. The retrospective analysis revealed a low mean prevalence of suspected CE (0.32%), while prospective evaluation showed an apparent prevalence of 0.08% based on macroscopic inspection. However, molecular analyses revealed the absence of Echinococcus granulosus and E. multilocularis DNA, while 50% of isolated lesions were caused by Taenia hydatigena. The integration of molecular diagnostics with in-depth anatomopathological evaluation improves diagnostic accuracy, reduces misclassification, and allows risk-targeted control strategies. Prioritizing confirmatory diagnostics and targeted interventions is recommended in a One Health approach.