{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T09:12:16Z","timestamp":1777972336850,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777852800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a chronic zoonotic parasitic disease with a significant impact on public health in endemic regions. The liver is the most frequently affected organ, and ultrasound-based surveys are considered a reliable tool for detecting asymptomatic infections. As population-based data specifically addressing hepatic CE prevalence in T\u00fcrkiye remain limited, we aimed to assess the prevalence of liver cystic echinococcosis in T\u00fcrkiye using only ultrasound-based surveys. Methods: A systematic review was conducted, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, to estimate the prevalence of liver CE in T\u00fcrkiye based exclusively on ultrasound-based field surveys. Electronic databases (PubMed and Scopus) were searched up to March 2026. Eligible studies included population-based human screening surveys reporting hepatic CE prevalence confirmed via ultrasonography. Data were extracted and descriptively pooled, with subgroup analyses performed according to age group (children vs. adults) and residential setting (urban vs. rural). The protocol was prospectively registered in the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (INPLASY; registration Number: INPLASY202630029). Only human ultrasound-based screening studies including liver CE data were accepted; alveolar echinococcosis studies were excluded. Pooled prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model, and between-study heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic. Results: We analyzed the data of 23,154 people from 11 different provinces reported in 8 studies. The overall pooled liver CE prevalence was 0.31% (95% CI: 0.14\u20130.54), while it was 0.12% and 0.43% for urban and rural residents, respectively. Adults had higher prevalence of liver CE than children (0.43% vs. 0.16%). When separated by both living area and age, the prevalence rates were as follows: urban children 0.07%, urban adults 0.21%, rural children 0.29% and rural adults 0.60%. Conclusions: This is the first systematic review evaluating the prevalence of liver CE in T\u00fcrkiye exclusively from ultrasound-based studies. While the overall prevalence of liver CE was 0.31%, adults living in rural areas presented a nearly two-fold higher rate (0.60%). Ultrasound-based screening provides a practical and effective approach for epidemiological surveillance. Targeted control strategies\u2014including community-based screening, health education, and veterinary interventions\u2014are essential to reduce transmission and disease burden, particularly in high-risk rural populations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens15050496","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T07:57:29Z","timestamp":1777967849000},"page":"496","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevalence of Liver Cystic Echinococcosis in T\u00fcrkiye: A Systematic Review of Population-Based Ultrasound Imaging Surveys"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Cuneyt","family":"Kayaalp","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Atlas University, Istanbul 34408, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Basak","family":"Kayaalp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Bah\u00e7e\u015fehir University, Istanbul 34734, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cemalettin","family":"Aydin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul 34810, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1964-2516","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Servet","family":"Karagul","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Atlas University, Istanbul 34408, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.47717\/turkjsurg.2022.5757","article-title":"Turkish HPB Surgery Association consensus report on hepatic cystic echinococcosis (HCE)","volume":"38","author":"Uzun","year":"2022","journal-title":"Turk. 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