Background: On the continuation of sorting the puzzle of the situation of hydatid disease in Iran and considering
that so far no survey was conducted in this context in Arak City, Markazi Province central Iran, the present study was
conducted to determine the seroprevalence of human hydatidosis using AgB-ELISA test.
Methods: Totally 578 serum samples randomly were collected from patients referred to hospitals and different health
centers in the city and 3 nearby villages of Arak. All sera were examined by ELISA tests using AgB. Before sampling, a
questionnaire was filled out for each case. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression
for risk factors analysis. P<0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Cut-off value was calculated 0.32. Twenty cases (3.46%) were seropositive for hydatidosis in the region. This
rate for females was 3.99% and for males 2.26%, respectively. There was no significant difference as regards all factors
studied except location (P<0.001). As for job, farmers and ranchmen had the highest rate of infection as 6.67%. The
seropositivity rate infection was 4.8% in illiterate people, which showed the highest rate. As regards residency, rural
life showed significant difference with urban life (1.5% vs. 7 %). Age group of 40-49 yr old (6.25%) had the highest
rate of positivity.
Conclusion: The rate of prevalence in this region shows more or less the same range with other cities of Iran. Obtained
result might assist the policy makers to take sanitary measures to control the disease.