Burden of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in the Kyrgyz Republic

The purpose of this study is to assess some aspects of the burden of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in the Kyrgyz Republic. From 2015-2020 a total of 5568 cases of primary cystic echinococcosis (CE) were reported and a further 1008 recurrent cases. Over the same time period 880 primary cases of primary alveolar echinococcosis (AE) were reported and a further 343 recurrent cases. The estimated DALYs for CE was 7849, that is 1308 per annum or 19.5 per 100,000 per annum. For AE was there were 3809 DALYs, that is 634 per annum or 9.5 per 100,000 per annum. The proportion of fatal cases of AE was 3.6 times higher than from CE. The total economic damage in terms of purchasing power equivalent (PPE) from CE amounted to more than 10,5 million international US dollars. For AE it amounted to more than 5.1 million international US dollars. Most of the financial burden falls on the patients themselves and amounts to 68.4%, i.e., 1223 PPE dollars per case out of total spending 1615 PPE dollars per case. To reduce the social and economic burden of echinococcosis, it is necessary to timely identify the disease, prevent the development of complications and multiple lesions, and promote preventive chemotherapy where appropriate. A deep understanding of the etiology, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and tactics of early diagnosis of various forms of echinococcosis is also important for timely detection, effective control, and, most importantly, the organization of preventive measures to combat this disease.Author summary: Echinococcosis is an important public health problem in Kyrgyzstan. From 2015 to 2020 a total of 5568 cases of primary cystic echinococcosis (CE) were reported and a further 1008 recurrent cases were reported to the Ministry of Health Kyrgyzstan. For alveolar echinococcosis (AE) 880 primary cases and a further 343 recurrent cases were reported. The burden of disease for CE was estimated at 1308 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) per annum, whilst for AE it was estimated to result in 634 DALYs per annum. In terms of purchasing power parity, the total economic costs of treatment for these disease amounted to more than $15 million over this 5 year period.