Identification of environmental risk factors for the presence of Echinococcus multilocularis

Abstract

International audienceThe tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis is dependent upon foxes and microtine rodents to complete its life cycle and is a parasite of public health importance causing the fatal zoonotic disease alveolar echinococcosis (AE). Concerns that AE could be in emergence in Europe have arisen from recent studies. In France, a monitoring survey led to the collection of 2813 georeferenced faecal samples of which 82 have been diagnosed positive for the presence of the parasite. A geographically weighted logistic regression was used to assess potential spatial variation in the effect of putative environmental risk variables. Landscape and climatic variables were expected to play a role in epidemiological factors. The results showed no significant spatial heterogeneity. This suggests a constant prevalence across the study area. The parasite is now identified in regions where it was formerly unknown, outside of traditional endemic areas