Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus shiquicus in a small mammal community on the eastern Tibetan Plateau: host species composition, molecular prevalence, and epidemiological implications.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau is now recognized as an endemic region with the highest reported human infection rates in the world of human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by Echinococcus multilocularis. Existing epidemiological studies on AE have mainly focused on the synanthropic environment, while basic parasitological and ecological aspects in wildlife host species remain largely unknown, especially for small mammal hosts. Therefore, we examined small mammal host species composition, occurrence, and the prevalence of both E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus in Shiqu County (Sichuan Province, China), eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Results

In total, 346 small mammals from five rodent and one pika species were trapped from four randomly set 0.25 ha square p

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5956848 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature