Abstract
BackgroundAlveolar echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the metacestode of Echinococcus multilocularis. Many species of small mammals, including arvicolid rodents or Ochotona spp., are natural intermediate hosts of the cestode. The main aim of this study was to identify natural intermediate hosts of E. multilocularis in Chenaran County, Razavi Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran, where the prevalence of infected wild and domestic carnivores is high.Methodology/Principal FindingsA program of trapping was carried out in five villages in which this cestode was reported in carnivores. The livers of 85 small mammals were investigated for the presence of E. multilocularis infection using multiplex PCR of mitochondrial genes. Infections were identified in 30 specimens: 23 Microtus transcaspicus, three Ochotona rufescens, two Mus musculus, one Crocidura gmelini, and one Apodemus witherbyi.Conclusions/SignificanceA range of small mammals therefore act as natural intermediate hosts for the transmission of E. multilocularis in Chenaran County, and the prevalence suggested that E. multilocularis infection is endemic in this region. The existence of the life cycle of this potentially lethal cestode in the vicinity of human habitats provides a significant risk of human infection.
Highlights
Echinococcosis is a near cosmopolitan parasitic disease caused by the cestode Echinococcus [1,2,3]
Especially rodents, coexist with humans, in rural areas where they become infected with the larval stages of Echinococcus multilocularis via ingestion of eggs in feces from infected carnivores
As prey for carnivores, small mammals have an important role in the life cycle of E. multilocularis, the agent of a serious zoonotic disease, alveolar echinococcosis, infecting people in most northern hemisphere countries
Summary
Echinococcosis is a near cosmopolitan parasitic disease caused by the cestode Echinococcus [1,2,3]. The potentially fatal zoonotic disease, alveolar echinococcosis, is caused by the metacestode of E. multilocularis, which has a sylvatic cycle, comprising wild carnivores as definitive hosts and more than 40 species of small mammals, including arvicolid rodents and the lagomorph Ochotona spp., as intermediate hosts [2,4,5]. Many species of small mammals, including arvicolid rodents or Ochotona spp., are natural intermediate hosts of the cestode. The main aim of this study was to identify natural intermediate hosts of E. multilocularis in Chenaran County, Razavi Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran, where the prevalence of infected wild and domestic carnivores is high
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