The geographical distribution and prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in animals in the European Union and adjacent countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundThis study aimed to provide a systematic review on the geographical distribution of Echinococcus multilocularis in definitive and intermediate hosts in the European Union (EU) and adjacent countries (AC). The relative importance of the different host species in the life-cycle of this parasite was highlighted and gaps in our knowledge regarding these hosts were identified.MethodsSix databases were searched for primary research studies published from 1900 to 2015. From a total of 2,805 identified scientific papers, 244 publications were used for meta-analyses.ResultsStudies in 21 countries reported the presence of E. multilocularis in red foxes, with the following pooled prevalence (PP): low (≤ 1 %; Denmark, Slovenia and Sweden); medium (> 1 % to < 10 %; Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania and the Ukraine); and high (> 10 %; Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Liechtenstein and Switzerland). Studies from Finland, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Norway reported the absence of E. multilocularis in red foxes. However, E. multilocularis was detected in Arctic foxes from the Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard in Norway.ConclusionsRaccoon dogs (PP 2.2 %), golden jackals (PP 4.7 %) and wolves (PP 1.4 %) showed a higher E. multilocularis PP than dogs (PP 0.3 %) and cats (PP 0.5 %). High E. multilocularis PP in raccoon dogs and golden jackals correlated with high PP in foxes. For intermediate hosts (IHs), muskrats (PP 4.2 %) and arvicolids (PP 6.0 %) showed similar E. multilocularis PP as sylvatic definitive hosts (DHs), excluding foxes. Nutrias (PP 1.0 %) and murids (PP 1.1 %) could play a role in the life-cycle of E. multilocularis in areas with medium to high PP in red foxes. In areas with low PP in foxes, no other DH was found infected with E. multilocularis. When fox E. multilocularis PP was >3 %, raccoon dogs and golden jackals could play a similar role as foxes. In areas with high E. multilocularis fox PP, the wolf emerged as a potentially important DH. Dogs and cats could be irrelevant in the life-cycle of the parasite in Europe, although dogs could be important for parasite introduction into non-endemic areas. Muskrats and arvicolids are important IHs. Swine, insectivores, murids and nutrias seem to play a minor or no role in the life-cycle of the parasite within the EU and ACs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1746-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Intestinal helminths of raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from the Augustów Primeval Forest (north-eastern Poland)

“…On the other hand, in Lithuania, bordering on the investigated area, the prevalence was very high (58.7%) (7), similarly as in other Baltic countries (1,18). It is regarded that in the same area, generally, the prevalence of this tapeworm in raccoon dogs was even several times lower than in red foxes (21). Therefore, the lack of E. multilocularis positive raccoon dogs in the Augustów Primeval Forest along with its relatively low prevalence in red foxes was not surprising.…”

Prevalence of helminth and coccidian parasites in Swedish outdoor cats and the first report of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in Sweden: a coprological investigation

“…Molecular identification performed in other cases of Swedish cats have shown that these oocysts belong to Toxoplasma gondii (SVA, unpublished results). Regarding taeniid eggs, different species are morphologically indistinguishable and since no polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed, species could not be determined and it cannot be excluded that some of them were eggs of Echinococcus multilocularis , even if it has been shown that are only rarely infected by this parasite and moreover in Sweden E. multilocularis eggs or DNA have only been detected in faeces from foxes [18, 19]. Based on previous data from necropsy studies performed on Swedish cats the likelihood that these eggs belong to T. taeniaeformis is very high.…”

Genetic survey of alveolar and cystic echinococcoses in Romania: first molecular evidence of Echinococcus multilocularis in humans in the country

“…It is thus plausible that E. multilocularis is being transmitted in some portion via red foxes also in north-eastern Romania. The Moldova Republic neighboring eastward is classifi ed as a country with uncertain endemicity status (Oksanen et al, 2016;EFSA, 2016), having a single record of E. multilocularis from house mouse in 1961 (Abuladze, 1964;Bessonov, 2002). Nevertheless, the country is believed to be endemic for the parasite over at least part of its territory, with 1 estimated annual number of human cases according to Torgerson et al (2010).…”

“…According to the latest records, the known range of E. multilocularis has markedly extended across Europe and it is assumed to be currently distributed over the most of its territory. For countries of central-eastern Europe, evidence supports northward and southeastern expansions from a core endemic area in south-central Europe as documented by fi ndings from Poland, Baltic countries, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania (summarized in Davidson et al, 2012 andOksanen et al, 2016). Prevalence trends of AE in humans appear to follow the surge in parasite abundance in wildlife coinciding with dramatic increases of fox population that began since 1990´s (Mackenstedt et al, 2015).…”