Abstract

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic zoonosis, caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. This disease has a worldwide distribution and is considered an important zoonosis in Chile, especially in regions where raising livestock dominates. We aimed to describe the spatial distribution and risk factors for CE in cattle and sheep slaughtered in the Aysen Region, Chile between 2015 and 2016, to inform disease control in this hyper-endemic region. Clustering and hotspot analyses of CE at the farm-level were performed (Moran's global index, local indicator of spatial autocorrelation (LISA), and the scan statistic Poisson model), and we used spatial interpolation to display areas with a higher risk of CE. Mixed effects logistic regression models were fit to assess the association between municipality of origin and age of animals and CE detected at slaughter, with the farm of origin included as a random effect.