coenurus serialis in northeastern iran: a probable danger to human

Background: coenurosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of taenia multiceps or taenia serialis species. objectives: the current study aimed at reporting the entity of coenurus serialis in iran. methods: the five dead rabbits found in sarakhs city, northeastern iran, were inspection carefully. coenurus serialis cysts recovered from their muscles were inoculated orally into a four-month-old spitz/terrier dog. results: based on the current study, 40% of the inspected rabbits in northeastern iran had c. serialis. the eggs appeared in the feces 58 days post-inoculation (dpi). cestodes length was 15 - 25 cm and the total number of scolex hooks was 301. the mean length of large and small hooks was 140 and 90 m, respectively. discussion: taenia multiceps and t. serialis in dogs were morphologically indistinguishable in the current study. the disease exists in northeastern iran in animals and is the potential danger as a zoonotic disease. the current study established the first experimental infection of c. serialis in iran. neurosurgeons should consider the probability of the disease in this region.