Investigation on the occurrence of Echinococcus multilocularis in Central Italy

The foxes were heavily parasitized by 11 helminthic genera, but none of the animals was infected by E. multilocularis neither by E. granulosus (harboured adult worms or their DNA). Low specificity was observed in commercially available ELISA kits for the detection of E. multilocularis antigens in the faeces. Molecular diagnostics were sensitive and specific for the detection and identification of tapeworm eggs in faeces, but less sensitive, although specific, to adult tapeworms in the intestinal content.Preliminarily, we can say that no E. multilocularis could be found in the study area. These data will enable us to follow temporal changes of the spatial distribution of the parasite in the study area of the Central Apennines. Due to its low specificity the ELISA kit for E. multilocularis coproantigens is not suitable for epidemiological surveys, whereas molecular diagnostics applied to faecal samples give useful results. Finally, absence of E. granulosus in foxes living in the endemic areas studied confirms the thought that this tapeworm prefers a different definitive host.Alveolar hydatidosis due to infection with the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis is one of the world major zoonoses [1]. E. multilocularis depends on its definitive and intermediate hosts, which harbour the parasite at intestinal level and in internal organs, respectively. In various endemic regions, different definitive and intermediate hosts may be involved in the transmission cycles, but the most important definitive host is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), whereas several small rodents (mainly Arvicolidae and Cricetidae) may act as intermediate hosts. Therefore, transmission of E. multilocularis usually occurs in a sylvatic cycle, which is sometimes linked, via infected small mammals, to domestic dogs and cats. The infected fox sheds viable eggs of E. multilocularis with his faeces, thus contaminating the food of small rodents and infecting them. A fox devouring the parasitized rodents t