Tek Sağlık Yaklaşımı: İç Anadolu'da Otoktan Bulaşta Yer Alan Kistik Ekinokokkoz Etkenlerinin Moleküler Düzeyde İncelenmesi

Abstract

Akıncı, S., One Health Approach: Molecular-Level Investigation of Cystic Echinococcosis Agents in Autochthonous Transmission in Central Anatolia. Hacettepe University of Health Sciences One Health Master Thesis, Ankara, 2025. Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease caused by the larval forms of parasites in the species Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato in humans. CE is one of the most common helminthic infections worldwide and is more common in individuals who are in close contact with livestock and dogs, especially in rural areas. The life cycle of the Echinococcus genus continues mainly among domestic or wild carnivores and herbivores; humans are an incidental host in this cycle. CE has continued to be an important public health problem in Turkey from past to the present. The life cycle of the parasite is quite complex due to the presence of many different host species, and control, protection and elimination targets for CE are only possible with the “One Health” approach. The main objective of the thesis is to determine the species/haplotypes of E. granulosus s.l. involved in autochthonous transmission in Central Anatolia, a highly endemic region. A total of 65 human-derived, 53 animal derived hydatid cyst fluid and 50 dog feces samples were collected. As a result of molecular analyses, 88 samples were found positive and all were identified as E. granulosus sensu stricto. As a result of haplotype analyses, 28 haplotypes were identified and only two of them were obtained from both animal and human-sourced hydatid cyst isolates. All dog feces included in the study were observed as negative. Analysis of samples obtained from humans, cattle and dogs revealed the connections between different hosts in the transmission chain of CE and emphasized the importance of the one-health approach in the investigation of such zoonotic diseases. The identification of all samples as E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) confirmed once again the dominance of this genotype in Turkey and showed how important genetic analyses are in such epidemiological studies. Key Words: Cystic Echinococcosis, CE, Echinococcus granulosus complex, genotyping, One Health