First detection of Echinococcus multilocularis in dogs in a highly endemic area of Poland

• Published in: Folia Parasitologica
• Main Authors: Karamon, Jacek, Samorek-Pierog, Malgorzata, Kochanowski, Maciej, Dabrowska, Joanna, Sroka, Jacek, Golab, Elzbieta, Umhang, Gérald, Cencek, Tomasz
• Other Authors: National Veterinary Research Institute Pulawy, Pologne (NVRI), National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene Poland, Laboratoire de la rage et de la faune sauvage de Nancy (LRFSN), Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: alveolar echinococcosis; Echinococcus granulosus; Taenia; PCR; faeces; [SDV.MP.PAR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Parasitology; [SDV.BA.MVSA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Veterinary medicine and animal Health; [SDV.SPEE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Santé publique et épidémiologie; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://anses.hal.science/anses-03433336; https://anses.hal.science/anses-03433336/document; https://anses.hal.science/anses-03433336/file/Folia_fol-201601-0018.pdf; https://doi.org/10.14411/fp.2016.018

International audience The aim of the investigation was to estimate the epizootic situation concerning infection by the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis Leuckart, 1863 in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus) from a Polish region where this parasite is highly prevalent in red foxes. Faecal samples (n = 148) were collected from rural dogs in Podkarpackie Province. Samples were examined through nested PCR (for E. multilocularis), multiplex PCR (E. multilocularis, species of Taenia Linnaeus, 1758) and PCR [E. granulosus (Batsch, 1786)]. Specific products were sequenced. Faeces were also examined coproscopically. In samples from two dogs (1.4%), there were positive PCR results for E. multilocularis. Taenia-specific PCR products were found in nine dogs (6.1%). Sequencing identified Taenia serialis (Gervais, 1847), T. hydatigena Pallas, 1766, T. pisiformis (Bloch, 1780) and Hydatigera taeniaeformis (Batsch, 1786). One sample (0.7%) was identified as Mesocestoides litteratus (Batsch, 1786). All samples were negative for E. granulosus with PCR. Taking into account coproscopic and PCR results, 28% of dogs were infected with helminths (8% with tapeworms). It should be stressed that one of the infected with E. multilocularis dogs shed eggs of the Taenia type and had a habit of preying on rodents. This investigation revealed the presence of E. multilocularis in dogs for the first time in Poland.