Genetic Diversity of the Cestode Echinococcus multilocularis in Red Foxes at a Continental Scale in Europe

The effect of bait-delivered anthelmintic to reduce the prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in wild red foxes was evaluated in Koshimizu, in the eastern part of Hokkaido, Japan. The study area (200 km2) was divided into baited and non-baited sections. The anthelmintic baits were distributed around fox den sites in the baited section every month for 13 months. After 1 year of the anthelmintic bait distribution, the prevalence of E. multilocularis in foxes, evaluated either by the parasite egg examination (from 27.1 to 5.6%) or coproantigen ELISA (from 59.6 to 29.7%), decreased in the baited section contrasting to that in the non-baited section (parasite egg: from 18.8 to 24.2%; ELISA: from 41.9 to 45.8%). The prevalence of E. multilocularis in grey red-backed vole Clethrionomys rufocanus, caught around fox dens, born after bait distribution also decreased and was significantly lower than that in non-baited section. However, within the study periods, the coproantigen-positive rate in fox faeces sporadically increased, while egg-positive rate constantly decreased. Since coproantigen ELISA can detect pre-patent infection, this observation indicates that reinfection pressure in the baited section was still high even after the 13 months of anthelmintic bait distribution. Therefore, the bait distribution longer than our study period is required for the efficient control of E. multilocularis in wild red fox population.

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Reduced egg production of Echinococcus multilocularis in experimentally infected and re-infected red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

Veterinary Parasitology ◽

10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.04.010 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 155 (1-2) ◽

pp. 59-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mohammad Nafi Solaiman Al-Sabi ◽

Christian M.O. Kapel ◽

Pia Webster ◽

Peter Deplazes

Keyword(s):

Echinococcus Multilocularis ◽

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Egg Production ◽

Red Foxes

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Simple modification to improve reliability of copro-DNA examinations for diagnosing Echinococcus multilocularis infections in red foxes

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x20000255 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 94 ◽

Author(s):

T. Irie ◽

T. Ito ◽

H. Kouguchi ◽

K. Uraguchi

Keyword(s):

Dna Extraction ◽

Echinococcus Multilocularis ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Sequencing Analysis ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Simple Modification ◽

Pcr Inhibitors ◽

Examination Technique ◽

Modified Method ◽

Infection Pressure

Abstract Epidemiological studies of Echinococcus multilocularis infections in definitive hosts require a reliable and economic diagnostic method. In this study, the current copro-DNA examination technique was modified by increasing the faecal amounts tested and adding a step to neutralize the faeces before DNA extraction. Reliability of the modified method was evaluated using rectal faecal samples from red foxes and comparing them with intestinal worms detected using the sedimentation and counting technique (SCT) following necropsy. The modified copro-DNA examination method demonstrated 93.9% sensitivity (138/147) on the SCT. Its detectability increased depending on the worm burden, and the sensitivity was 100% in cases harbouring over 1000 worms. From 111 SCT-negative cases, six (5.4%) were copro-DNA-positive, and all were confirmed as E. multilocularis via sequencing analysis. Five of the remaining 105 SCT-negative cases (4.8%) retained polymerase chain reaction (PCR) inhibitors in the extracted solution, suggesting that approximately 5% of the red fox faeces retained these inhibitors after treatment with the present copro-DNA extraction method. Although further evaluation is needed for faeces deposited in the wild, the present copro-DNA examination technique will help monitor the E. multilocularis prevalence in definitive hosts. When used for detailed evaluations of endemicity (e.g. changes in infection pressure or spread in non-endemic areas), the absence of PCR inhibitors should be confirmed, and multiple trials on faecal subsamples are recommended.

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Genetic Diversity in Echinococcus multilocularis From the Plateau Vole and Plateau Pika in Jiuzhi County, Qinghai Province, China

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2018.02632 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jian-qiu Li ◽

Li Li ◽

Yan-lei Fan ◽

Bao-quan Fu ◽

Xing-quan Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Echinococcus Multilocularis ◽

Plateau Pika ◽

Qinghai Province

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Occurence of Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in southern Poland

Helminthologia ◽

10.2478/s11687-008-0004-5 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 24-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

A. Borecka ◽

J. Gawor ◽

M. Malczewska ◽

A. Malczewski

Keyword(s):

Echinococcus Multilocularis ◽

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Early Recognition ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Southern Poland ◽

Regular Screening ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Epidemiological Situation

AbstractThe prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in 214 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the southern part of Poland (Małopolskie voivodship) was evaluated post mortem in 2005. Infected foxes were found in 8 districts within 17 examined, with the prevalence from 10.0 % to 63.9 % (a mean 20.1 % in the whole study area). The highest prevalence (41.2 % and 63.9 %) was revealed in two districts, in the south and the east of the province, respectively. The high prevalence of E. multilocularis in red foxes in the region previously recognised as that of low parasite endemicity provides evidence for the need of regular screening of the current epidemiological situation in foxes as well as the monitoring of humans from risk groups for early recognition of possible AE cases.

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Corrigendum to ‘Detecting co-infections of Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis in coyotes and red foxes in Alberta, Canada using real-time PCR’ [IJP: Parasites and Wildlife 7 (2018) 111–115]

International Journal for Parasitology Parasites and Wildlife ◽

10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.07.006 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 463

Author(s):

Maria A. Santa ◽

Sonya A. Pastran ◽

Claudia Klein ◽

Padraig Duignan ◽

Kathreen Ruckstuhl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Real Time Pcr ◽

Echinococcus Multilocularis ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Echinococcus Canadensis

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A tale of two forests: ongoing aridification drives population decline and genetic diversity loss at continental scale in Afro-Macaronesian evergreen-forest archipelago endemics

Annals of Botany ◽

10.1093/aob/mcy107 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 122 (6) ◽

pp. 1005-1017 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mario Mairal ◽

Juli Caujapé-Castells ◽

Loïc Pellissier ◽

Ruth Jaén-Molina ◽

Nadir Álvarez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Population Decline ◽

Evergreen Forest ◽

Continental Scale ◽

Diversity Loss

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Genetic Structure and Gene Flow in Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Scandinavia: Implications for the Potential Future Spread of Echinococcus multilocularis Tapeworm

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app9245289 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (24) ◽

pp. 5289

Author(s):

Mari Hagenlund ◽

Arne Linløkken ◽

Kjartan Østbye ◽

Zea Walton ◽

Morten Odden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Flow ◽

Population Ecology ◽

Wildlife Management ◽

Echinococcus Multilocularis ◽

Vulpes Vulpes ◽

Red Fox ◽

Emerging Diseases ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Genetic Structuring ◽

High Level

Knowledge about the dispersal and gene flow patterns in wild animals are important for our understanding of population ecology and the connectedness of populations. It is also important for management relating to disease control and the transmission of new and emerging diseases. Our study aimed to evaluate the genetic structuring among comparative samples of red foxes in a small part of Scandinavia and to estimate the gene flow and potential directionality in the movements of foxes using an optimized set of microsatellite markers. We compared genetic samples of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from two areas in Sweden and two areas in Norway, including red fox samples from areas where the occurrence of the cyclophyllic tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis has been documented, and areas without known occurrence of the parasite. Our results show a high level of gene flow over considerable distances and substantiates migration from areas affected with E. multilocularis into Norway where the parasite is not yet detected. The results allow us to better understand the gene flow and directionality in the movement patterns of red foxes, which is important for wildlife management authorities regarding the spread of E. multilocularis.

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