Seroepidemiologic Screening of Echinococcus multilocularis Infection in a European Area Endemic for Alveolar Echinococcosis

Bresson‐Hadni, Solange; Laplante, Jean‐Jacques; Lenys, D; Rohmer, P; Gottstein, Bruno; Jacquier, P; Mercet, P; Meyer, Jean-Philippe; Miguet, Jean-Philippe; Vuitton, Dominique-Angèle

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1994.51.837

Cited by 124 publications

(99 citation statements)

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“…In Switzerland, a relatively stable annual morbidity rate of 0.18 cases per 100,000 inhabitants was recorded in recent decades, with high annual incidence rates occurring more regionally, as observed in the Swiss canton of Jura (0.74/ 100,000) (Gottstein et al, 1987, Ammann et al, 1999, Kern et al, 2003. From 1990 to 1993 we studied the infection of foxes from the Jura mountains, which constitute an area adjacent to the endemic Doubs department in France (Bresson-Hadni et al, 1994). The prevalence of the infection decreases from 40.5% in the canton of Jura and Berne (north-eastern area of the Jura mountains) to 13.7% in the north of the canton of Vaud (south-western area of the Jura mountains).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection of red foxes with Echinococcus multilocularis in western Switzerland

2007

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In the Jura mountains, Plateau and Alps of western Switzerland important variations in the prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in red foxes were observed between geographical areas from 1990 to 1995. The Jura mountains and the Plateau had higher mean prevalence levels than the Alps with 30.6, 32.4 and 18.8%, respectively. The highest rate was recorded in the Plateau in the canton of Fribourg with a prevalence of 52.3%. The prevalence of E. multilocularis infection in foxes in the alpine canton of Valais was the lowest (7.1%). Juvenile foxes were found to be more susceptible to E. multilocularis than adults. Adult foxes were less heavily infected in summer and autumn, while the prevalence in juveniles (less than 1 year old) increased between the spring and winter, when they are more than 6 months old. The retrospective data relate to the beginning of the 1990s, since when a drastic prevalence increase of E. multilocularis infection in foxes has occurred in several regions of Europe. Nevertheless, the study is a major contribution to the epidemiological situation of E. multilocularis in central Europe, in that it contains valuable information on spatial distribution and seasonal differences in different age groups of foxes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection of red foxes with Echinococcus multilocularis in western Switzerland

2007

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“…Purified and crude antigens have been used for screening; the investigators of a recent study in France who had used both crude and the specific Em2 antigen to screen 7,884 people recommended a combination of Em2 and crude antigen for primary screening. 6 In this study, 2 unpurified antigens of different origin were used in parallel for screening. Only 5 of 50 screening seroreactors tested positive with both antigens.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contaminated foodstuffs from the environment eaten uncooked and infected dogs and cats carrying the tapeworm eggs in their fur are suspected to be important sources of infection. 4 In parts of Europe, AE seems to be an occupational hazard for farmers, 5,6 who may be at risk by handling contaminated soil or by inhaling dust containing eggs during farming activities. The primary location of the parasite in humans is the liver, although metastases may form elsewhere in later stages of the disease.…”

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confidence: 99%

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An epidemiologic survey of human alveolar echinococcosis in southwestern Germany. Römerstein Study Group.

Römig

Kratzer²,

Kimmig³

et al. 1999

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

104

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Abstract. The inhabitants of a rural community in southwestern Germany were examined for alveolar echinococcosis (AE). The study was prompted by the recent increase of the prevalence of the parasite in foxes and the increase of fox populations: in the study area, 75% of the foxes carried Echinococcus multilocularis. The human population was screened using hepatic ultrasound and serology. All participants were interviewed for demographic and potential risk factors. Of 2,560 participants, one was identified with active AE, while 3 others had suspicious liver lesions. Another 9 participants were seropositive for specific antibodies without detectable lesions. Demographic and behavioral factors were not correlated with active or suspected cases nor with seropositivity. If the prevalence of 40/100,000 (95% confidence interval ϭ 15-295/100,000) for active cases would be representative for the rural population in high endemicity areas, the current number of AE cases in southwestern Germany is considerably higher than previously suspected.

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“…As a result, 13 asymptomatic AE patients (including 5 abortive cases) were identified by immunodiagnostic ELISAs combined with modern imaging methods. 16 However, since this screening was restricted to volunteers from the sole Agriculture health insurance group (covering about 10% of the population), a differential bias was possible. Thus, only diagnostic incidence data were considered in this study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Vole (Arvicola Terrestris Scherman) Density as Risk Factor for Human Alveolar Echinococcosis

Viel¹,

Giraudoux²,

Abrial³

1998

Epidemiology

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Abstract. Concern is growing in Europe about alveolar echinococcosis (AE) with the increase in grassland rodent and red fox populations, intermediate and definitive hosts for Echinococcus multilocularis, respectively. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of rodent densities on human AE distribution. Spatial Poisson regression analyses were performed with geomorphologic features, landscape composition, climatic characteristics, and water vole density as independent variables. The outcome consisted of AE cases diagnosed over the period 1980-1992. High vole density yielded a 10-fold risk (relative risk [RR ] ϭ 10.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] ϭ 2.78-38.39), and the first plateau (400-700 m altitude) compared with the plain (200-400 m) was associated with a large increase in risk (RR ϭ 7.10, 95% CI ϭ 1.30-38.63). These results confirm that human AE is strongly influenced by the densities of arvicolid species. Foxes feeding almost exclusively on grassland rodents when the latter expand could mediate this relation.

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Seroepidemiologic Screening of Echinococcus multilocularis Infection in a European Area Endemic for Alveolar Echinococcosis

Cited by 124 publications

References 0 publications

Infection of red foxes with Echinococcus multilocularis in western Switzerland

Infection of red foxes with Echinococcus multilocularis in western Switzerland

An epidemiologic survey of human alveolar echinococcosis in southwestern Germany. Römerstein Study Group.

Water Vole (Arvicola Terrestris Scherman) Density as Risk Factor for Human Alveolar Echinococcosis

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