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The socio-economic impact of echinococcosis, with special reference to cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by Echinococcus granulosus, is reviewed. The following items are discussed: socio-economic consequences in humans; economic consequences in livestock; costs and benefits of control programmes; economic evaluation of control programmes; social reasons favouring the life cycle of CE; social, political and economic situations hindering the control of echinococcosis. Many consequences are difficult to evaluate from an economic point of view. However, many evaluations have shown that CE is an important (often neglected) public health and economic problem, especially in endemic areas, and that the socio-economic evaluation of its consequences and of control actions proves indispensable to best use available resources and possibly tailor control strategies.

The socio-economic impact of cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by Echinococcus granulosus, is reviewed with special reference to the following topics: consequences in man and livestock, costs and benefits of control programmes and economic procedures for evaluating control programmes. Examples of some important costs and benefits are given. Many consequences in man and livestock are difficult to evaluate from an economic point of view, because some basic data are difficult to obtain in many countries. However, the socio-economic evaluation of the consequences of CE and of the present and future control actions proves indispensable to best use available resources and possibly tailor control stategies.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important zoonosis in Italy and in the whole Mediterranean Region, as confirmed by the work by Ettore Biocca, whose contributions to the subject are reported in a summarised annex to the bibliography. The contribution to the understanding and control of CE are presented, with special emphasis on the socio-economic impact, on factors affecting the maintenance of CE in the Mediterranean Region, on the epidemiological situation and control measures, on the present status of epidemiological surveillance, on the control problems in normal and emergency situations, on health education and training. Also, the justifications of combined control programmes are discussed, which may be applied only in situations of peace and well-being.

The following items are discussed: 1) Zoonoses with an urban cycle: a) Salmonellosis; b) Dermatophytozoonoses; c) Toxoplasmosis; d) Larva migrans visceralis; 3) Flea and tick infections; f) Zoonoses of cities located on lakes, rivers and the sea. 2) Animalization of the urban environment. 3) Zoonoses which may be transferred from the rural to the urban environment: a) Rural zoonoses transmitted to urban animals; b) Rural zoonoses transmitted to man in cities. 4) Zoonoses which may be transmitted from the urban to the rural environment.

The health problems which may involve farm workers are discussed and classified as: 1) diseases of mechanical origin; 2) diseases of environmental origin; 3) infection diseases (a) contracted from the environment; (b) contracted from animals); 4) social and psychological problems. The transmission of diseases from farm workers to animals has been outlined. The AA. conclude by stressing that the techniques that assure good farm profit coincide with the prevention of occupational diseases in farm workers.

The different aspects of the coexistence of man and animals in towns are discussed. The animals living in urban areas are classified as: a) Pets; b) Synanthropic, appreciated by man: c) Synanthropic, disregarded by man; d) Synanthropic, disliked by man. The detrimental effects are: a) Transmission of diseases; b) Bites, scratches and other lesions; c) Animal wastes; d) Noise; e) Use of feeds, medicines, etc.; f) Abandoned animals. The positive effects are: a) Ecological balance; b) Animals and mental health; c) Other positive aspects. A positive solution of the problem is sought which avoids both the zoomaniac and the zoophobic attitudes.