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PubMed2002

Potential remedy against Echinococcus multilocularis in wild red foxes using baits with anthelmintic distributed around fox breeding dens in Hokkaido, Japan.

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.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Preliminary study of the role of red foxes in Echinococcus multilocularis transmission in the urban area of Sapporo, Japan.

In order to assess the infection risk of alveolar echinococcosis among urban residents of Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, Japan, a survey was conducted on fox distribution in the urban area and on the prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis among the foxes. The fox distribution, evaluated from fox footprints left on the snow in parks and woodlands, and from locations of fox carcasses recorded by the Sapporo municipality, was concentrated along the border of the urban area and in the southwestern part of the city, facing the mountain. Fox faeces were collected around active fox dens, and analysed by a coproantigen detection assay and parasite egg examination for the Echinococcus infection. Thirty-three out of 155 faeces were coproantigen positive. Coproantigen-positive faeces were collected from 11 den sites (57.9% of total den sites), and all except 1 were located in the urban fringe. A high intensity of taeniid eggs (> 100 eggs per 0.5 g) containing faeces were also collected in the 3 sites of them. Although Echinococcus infection in rodents was not observed from the necropsy of 23 rodents captured around active fox dens, arvicolid rodents, a suitable intermediate host for E. multilocularis, were captured in the urban fringe. Therefore, the urban fringe offers suitable conditions in which the life-cycle of E. multilocularis could be maintained. Prompt measures to control echinococcus infection should be taken, even in urban areas.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Host serum proteins in Echinococcus multilocularis: complement activation via the classical pathway.

The presence of host serum proteins, including IgG and IgM, within the cyst membranes and on the surface of protoscoleces of Echinococcus multilocularis was demonstrated by the use of HRPO-conjugated purified antisera. Viable protoscoleces incubated either in EDTA- or EGTA-fresh human sera were not lysed; the addition of calcium restored the protoscolecidal activity of the EGTA serum. It is concluded that the complement-mediated lysis of this metazoan organism proceeds via the classical pathway of complement activation. The results are discussed in relation to the ability of this parasite to survive in the immunologically hostile environment of the host.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Echinococcus multilocularis: effect of size of inoculum and route of infection on metastasis, amyloidogenesis and alveolar hydatid cysts mass in mice.

Alveolar hydatid disease (AHD) in mice, caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, is characterized by restrictive and metastasizing progressive growth phases. In experimentally induced infections, neither inoculum size (5, 50 or 250 viable cysts) nor the route (intraperitoneal/subcutaneous) of infection altered the course of disease as measured by the size of the larval cyst mass (LCM) produced. Spleen weight and amyloid deposition were also shown to be independent of the route or size of inoculum. Inoculation of a soluble parasite protein extract (AHC-EXT) induced amyloid deposition, with a dose-dependent threshold. These results support our postulate that soluble component(s) of the LCM are the major factor in the pathogenesis of AHD.

Amyloid↗
PubMed1995

Diagnosis of Echinococcus multilocularis infection by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Alveolar echinococcosis is a life-threatening parasitosis occurring in countries in the Northern hemisphere. The diagnosis of an Echinococcus multilocularis infection is routinely performed by radiological techniques and by the detection of specific antibodies in the sera of infected patients. However, because serodiagnosis fails in 5%-10% and radiological techniques are difficult to interpret in some cases, we developed a polymerase chain reaction for the detection of echinococcal-specific messenger RNA from fine-needle biopsy specimens. This technique was applied to the diagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis in a 20-year-old seronegative woman. Detection of messenger RNA not only allowed the diagnosis of echinococcal disease but also proved to be a reliable measure for determining the efficacy of an antiparasitic therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Effects of multiple doses of isoprinosine on Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes.

Isoprinosine was given at daily doses of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 g kg-1 of body weight to jirds that were infected for 3 months with Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes. The effects of the different drug doses on metacestodes were studied by transmission electron microscopy and biochemical methods. At lower doses, increases in uric acid and adenosine deaminase activity were noted. At 4 g kg-1 of body weight, marked ultrastructural damage with metabolic perturbations was observed.

Adenosine Deaminase↗
PubMed1991

Serological (Em2-ELISA) and parasitological examinations of fox populations for Echinococcus multilocularis infections.

Serum or body fluid samples of 1,006 foxes were investigated in an ELISA for antibodies against a highly sensitive and specific antigen (Em2-antigen) of Echinococcus multilocularis. Parasitological examinations of the intestines and simultaneous serological examinations were carried out in 505 foxes: A group of 98 blue foxes (Alopex lagopus) from Norwegian fox farms did not contain intestinal stages of E. multilocularis and was clearly sero-negative in Em2-ELISA. On the other hand in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) originating from European areas known to be endemic for E. multilocularis the following average prevalence rates were found: 244 foxes from Southern Germany, E. multilocularis prevalence 55% and sero-prevalence 60%; 139 foxes from Austria, E. multilocularis prevalence 4% and sero-prevalence 12%. Serological identification of individual foxes with or without intestinal E. multilocularis infection was not possible. Only serological (no parasitological) examination in 402 foxes originating from endemic areas in Switzerland resulted in a sero-prevalence rate of 37%. Sero-prevalence was only 6% and 4% in 54 and 26 other foxes, respectively, originating from Swiss and German areas where E. multilocularis has not yet been reported. Negative control Norwegian (farmed) silver foxes (n = 43) were all sero-negative. The specificity of the Em2-ELISA was confirmed by negative Em2-serologies with sera from dogs infected with intestinal and tissue dwelling helminth species (with the exception of two from 24 dogs infected with E. granulosus).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Echinococcus multilocularis: variation among samples of cyst fluid in binding of parasite-specific antibodies.

Some of the factors influencing the sensitivity of ELISA in serodiagnosis of infections with Echinococcus multilocularis were examined. The results obtained suggest that, in contrast to E. granulosus, the variability in the antibody-binding capacity of various samples of cyst fluid of E. multilocularis cannot be explained by differences among parasite strains, species of host, cyst locations within the host, cyst fertility or protein concentration of the sample.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis and other metacestodes and cestodes in the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus LINK 1795) in Lower Saxony].

Aim of the study was to examine the prevalence and regional distribution of Echinococcus multilocularis and other metacestodes and cestodes in muskrats in Lower Saxony, Germany. A total of 991 muskrats with similar numbers from all districts of the country were examined between January and December 1995. E. multilocularis metacestodes were found in 4.1% of the muskrats in the liver and other organs of the abdominal cavity. The majority of the E. multilocularis positive animals came from the south of Lower Saxony, where E. multilocularis is endemic, and single animals from the middle or the northern part of the country. All metacestodes found were fertile. Additionally, metacestodes from T. taeniaeformis were found in the livers of 42.3% of the muskrats, metacestodes from T. crassiceps were present in the abdominal cavity of 2.7%, T. polyacantha in 0.4% and T. martis in 3.4% of the animals. Adult cestodes of the family of the Anoplocephalidae were found in the small intestine of 1.5% of the muskrats. Due to autolysis a species differentiation of the latter was not possible.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1984

Echinococcus multilocularis: identification of proteins inducing antibody formation in metacestode infection.

An approach to the identification of parasite proteins which are immunogenic in natural infections is described, using the infection with the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis as a parasite model. Metacestode proteins were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and transferred electrophoretically to nitrocellulose sheets (Western blotting). Subsequently, immune recognition of the proteins was performed with various host sera and antigen-antibody complexes were detected enzymatically. Using homologous antisera, different patterns of immunogenic bands were revealed by sera of different host species. Cross-reactions with sera from individuals infected with unrelated helminths were analysed. Four proteins of E. multilocularis which failed to show any cross-reaction were identified.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

High prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in urban red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and voles (Arvicola terrestris) in the city of Zürich, Switzerland.

Over a period of 26 months from January 1996 to February 1998, 388 foxes from the city of Zürich, Switzerland, were examined for intestinal infections with Echinococcus multilocularis and other helminths. The prevalence of E. multilocularis in foxes sampled during winter increased significantly from 47% in the urban to 67% in the adjacent recreational area, whereas prevalence rates of other helminths were similar in both areas. Seasonal differences in the prevalence of E. multilocularis were only found in urban subadult male foxes which were significantly less frequently infected in summer than in winter. The distribution of the Echinococcus biomass, as expressed by worm numbers per fox was overdispersed in 133 infected foxes randomly sampled in winter. Ten of these foxes (8%) were infected with more than 10,000 specimens and carried 72% of the total biomass of E. multilocularis (398,653 worms). Prevalences did not differ significantly in these foxes in regard to age and sex but worm burdens were significantly higher in subadult foxes as compared with adult foxes. In voles (Arvicola terrestris) trapped in a city park of Zürich, E. multilocularis metacestodes were identified by morphological examination and by PCR. The prevalence was 20% among 60 rodents in 1997 and 9% among 75 rodents in 1998. Protoscoleces occurred in 2 of the cases from 1997. The possible risk for human infection is discussed with respect to the established urban E. multilocularis cycle.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The Tibetan hare Lepus oiostolus: a novel intermediate host for Echinococcus multilocularis.

Multicystic hydatids have been found in the livers of hares ( Lepus oiostolus) examined from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau of China. In this study, the causative species was definitively identified as Echinococcus multilocularis by mitochondrial DNA sequencing. This is the first confirmation of larval E. multilocularis from hares. The hydatids contained protoscolices, suggesting that the hare may contribute to the transmission of E. multilocularis on the Tibetan plateau.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Detection of the eggs of Echinococcus multilocularis Leuckart, 1863, in the feces of the fox (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758) by the polymerase chain reaction].

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied to the identification of eggs of Echinococcus multilocularis in faeces from foxes. The test was positive in three of six faeces samples from foxes which were harbouring adult worms, and in one of four samples from foxes in which no adult E. multilocularis was found in the intestines. These initial results show that it is possible to use PCR to identify E. multilocularis eggs in faeces. PCR can be used to complement examination of intestinal contents, showing that the distribution of eggs in faeces is uneven. The sensitivity of the test was estimated to be 50 eggs in 5 g of faeces. Further work is needed to confirm these initial results before the test can be used more widely.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Prevalence and intensity of Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes schrencki) and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus) in Otaru City, Hokkaido, Japan.

A survey was done in an attempt to investigate the epidemiological status of Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes and raccoon dogs in Otaru city from June to September 1999. Sixty-seven red foxes (Vulpes vulpes schrencki) and 13 raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus) were captured, and postmortem examinations were conducted with them. Thirty-eight red foxes (56.7%) and 3 raccoon dogs (23.1%) were found to be infected with E. multilocularis. The total biomass of E. multilocularis in all infected red foxes and raccoon dogs were 2,817,000 and 1,515 worms, respectively. Nine of the infected red foxes harboring more than 100,000 worms accounted for 90.6% of the total biomass. No significant differences in the prevalence were observed between male and female, and juvenile and adult. However, the worm burden was higher in juvenile than in adult foxes. In one of the infected raccoon dogs, mature worms and eggs of E. multilocularis were found in the intestine and fecal sample, respectively. This result suggested that the raccoon dogs are probably playing a small role in the egg contamination of the environment. The validity of coproantigen ELISA for diagnosis of foxes was confirmed by comparing the results of autopsy, egg examination and coproantigen ELISA using rectal fecal samples.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Epidemiology of Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus in central Europe.

Two species of Echinococcus are known to occur in central Europe, namely E. multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus, causing the alveolar and the cystic form of echinococcosis in humans, respectively. Recent studies have shown that in central Europe E. multilocularis occurs further north, south and east than previously anticipated. This parasite is endemic in Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The prevalence rates of E. multilocularis in foxes are alarmingly high in some areas with average rates > 40%. Infection rates in dogs and cats are much lower. In recent years accidental infections with the metacestode stage of E. multilocularis have been observed in various animal species (dog, domestic pig, wild boar, nutria and monkeys) and in humans. The mean annual incidence rates of alveolar echinococcosis in humans are low varying between 0.02 and 1.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in several European countries and regions. For monitoring of the infection in final host populations new techniques are now available, notably the coproantigen ELISA and for selected cases also egg detection by the Polymerase Chain Reaction. E. granulosus has an uneven geographical distribution in Europe with very low prevalence rates in some of the northern and central European countries, with medium endemicity in others and high endemicity in areas of southern and eastern Europe. Cystic echinococcosis in humans is still a significant public health problem, predominantly in the Mediterranean area. Up to now five strains of E. granulosus have been identified in central Europe which differ in their life cycles as well as in morphological, biochemical, genetic and some other features. Several molecular techniques are now available which allow the identification of Echinococcus species and certain strains using genetic markers. Epidemiological evidence and molecular studies indicate that the so-called sheep, cattle, and cervid strains of E. granulosus are infective to humans whereas the horse strain may have no or low infectivity. Polish patients were found to be infected with E. granulosus similar to a pig strain.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Primers designed for amplification of Echinococcus multilocularis DNA amplify the DNA of Encephalitozoon-like spores in the polymerase chain reaction.

Microsporidian spores were developed from cells which were grown in vitro from a human liver lesion which was due to larval Echinococcus multilocularis. The microsporidian spores developed in the same fashion as an Encephalitozoon cuniculi. The Encephalitozoon-like spores were completely separated on Percoll gradients. The separated spores contained DNA capable of amplification by two different primer sets designed for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of E. multilocularis DNA. However, the cell DNA from which microsporidium developed was thoroughly insensitive to the PCR using the E. multilocularis primer sets. The results strongly suggested that Encephalitozoon should be taken into consideration, when DNA isolated from larval E. multilocularis is analyzed.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Echinococcus multilocularis: comparative study of glycogen synthase in metacestodes and in the livers of infected and control Meriones unguiculatus.

A comparative study of the kinetic parameters of glycogen synthase was performed on Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes and on the livers of infected and control host (Meriones unguiculatus). The enzyme of the parasite was found to be different from the enzyme of infected host liver. The apparent Km for UDP-glucose is 100 microM for the parasite and 400 microM for the host liver. The apparent Km for glucose 6-phosphate is 4 mM for the parasite and 2 mM for the host liver. The apparent Km for glycogen is 16 mg/ml for the parasite and 125 mg/ml for the host liver. The influence of glucose 6-phosphate and exogenous glycogen on the activity of glycogen synthase differs between the metacestode and the host liver. The enzyme of the metacestodes apparently does not need exogenous glycogen to work, contrary to the case for the liver host enzyme. The glycogen synthase of the parasite seems to be present in forms I and D, whereas the enzyme of the host liver appears in form I and that of the control liver in form D.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Intestinal and systemic humoral immunological events in the susceptible Balb/C mouse strain after oral administration of Echinococcus multilocularis eggs.

The aim of the study was to investigate the systemic and, for the first time, the intestinal humoral events in the susceptible Balb/C mouse strain after oral administration of Echinococcus multilocularis eggs. Thirty-one mice were divided into three groups; W-2, W-8 and control group. Each mouse of the W-2 and W-8 groups was orally infected with 1,500 E. multilocularis eggs, two weeks and eight weeks before sacrifice respectively. Control group mice received phosphate buffer saline. Measurement of anti-E. multilocularis and non-specific IgG, IgA and IgM, and of a transudation marker, albumin, were performed in serum and intestinal washings by a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay. These results were complemented by microscopic examination of the intestinal mucosa. This infection model is well-suited to the study of mucosal immunity during alveolar echinococcosis. It showed a major specific intestinal response in the early stage of the disease whereas the systemic response predominated later in the disease. Histopathological studies and calculation of the relative coefficient of excretion of Ig also confirmed that the presence of the parasite, even during a short period, was responsible for a local immunological and inflammatory response and for a change in mucosal permeability. Mucosal immunity could thus play a role in tolerance induction against E. multilocularis that could be a prerequisite for the subsequent development of the larvae in the liver, and for the occurrence of the parasitic disease, alveolar echinococcosis.

Animals↗