Three decades of research on molecular genetic characteristics of Echinococcus spp.: a bibliometric study.

Research on the molecular genetics of Echinococcus has advanced significantly owing to its relevance in understanding genetic variation, host-parasite interactions, and the transmission of Echinococcus species. A bibliometric analysis was performed using RStudio (Bibliometrix) and VOSviewer to evaluate molecular genetic research on Echinococcus spp. published between 1985 and 2025. Data were extracted from Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Europe PMC, and ProQuest. The analysis revealed a steady rise in publications on Echinococcus molecular genetics, accelerating from the early 2000s and peaking around 2017, with a slight decline after 2023, reflecting fluctuations in research activity. Comparative analysis showed Echinococcus consistently surpassed Schistosoma, Taenia, and soil-transmitted helminths, peaking at 60 articles in 2020-2021. Early publications achieved high mean Total Citations (TC) per year, followed by a stable trend, indicating lasting impact. Leading journals included Parasitology Research (Germany; 70 articles, H-index 114), Veterinary Parasitology (Netherlands; 62, H-index 150), Parasitology (UK; 53, H-index 173), Acta Tropica (Netherlands; 34, H-index 122), and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (USA; 28, H-index 172). Tehran University of Medical Sciences (54 articles) led institutions. Influential authors included D. P. McManus and T. Romig. Multinational studies (484 publications) had higher citations than single-country (474). Iran (121), China (116), and Italy (53) led global contributions, emphasising collaboration, genotyping, phylogeny, and veterinary applications. This bibliometric study underscores the evolving trends in Echinococcus molecular genetics, providing valuable insights for researchers and stakeholders to guide future investigations and collaborative strategies in controlling echinococcosis.