The effects of dog management on Echinococcus spp. prevalence in villages on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, China

Parasites & Vectors

Xu Wang¹  Weiping Wu¹  Philip S. Craig²  Youzhong Ding³  Zhiqiang Mu³  Xu Wei³  Qingqiu Zuo³  Shuo Ma³  Xiaodong Weng³  Zhenghuan Wang⁴  Xiaoming Wang⁵ 

[1] National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China;School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Greater Manchester, UK;School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China;School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China;Joint Translational Science & Technology Research Institute, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China;Shanghai Key Laboratory of Urbanization and Ecological Restoration, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China;School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China;Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, Shanghai, China;

关键词: Tibetan Plateau;    Shiqu County;    Dog management;    Feces;    Copro-PCR;    Prevalence;    Echinococcus multilocularis;    E. granulosus;    E. shiquicus;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13071-020-04082-6

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe pastoral area of the eastern Tibetan Plateau is highly endemic for human echinococcosis. Domestic dogs are the main definitive host for the transmission of both Echinococcus granulosus (sensu lato) and E. multilocularis to humans. To control the infection risks, a national-level canine echinococcosis prevention and control programme has been implemented since 2015 in Shiqu County, Ganze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China. The objective of this study was to evaluate its effect on Echinococcus spp. prevalence in dogs.MethodsWe surveyed 69 households with 84 owned dogs, for dog fecal samples and dog keeping information in the villages of Rizha and Eduoma. A total of 105 dog fecal samples (75 from owned dogs and 30 unknown dog fecal samples) were collected between 2015–2017 to determine Echinococcus spp. prevalence using copro-PCR. Eight variables based on household surveys were included into a logistic regression model for significant risk factors to canine echinococcosis prevalence in dogs.ResultsBetween 2015–2017, the overall Echinococcus spp. copro-DNA prevalence decreased significantly in dogs from 51.2% (2015) to 20.0% (2017) in Rizha, and insignificantly from 11.5% (2016) to 4.3% (2017) in Eduoma. Echinococcus multilocularis was the most prevalent species continually copro-DNA detected during the entire study period, while E. granulosus was rare and not detected in 2017. Echinococcus shiquicus copro-DNA prevalence (a probable non-zoonotic wildlife species) was as high in dogs as that of E. multilocularis, although only detected in 2015 in Rizha. Unleashed dog feces were mainly collected in Rizha in 2015. Although 93.2% of owned dogs were leashed, and the monthly praziquantel dosing rate reached 97%, E. multilocularis infection could still be detected in 11.1% of owned dogs in 2017. Monthly deworming, leashing dogs 24 h per day, and the avoidance of dogs feeding on livestock viscera were significant measures to prevent canine echinococcosis infection in owned dogs.ConclusionsCarrying out a canine echinococcosis prevention and control programme can significantly decrease Echinococcus spp. prevalence. The potential contact between leashed dogs and wild small mammals is still a risk for re-infection of owned dogs with E. multilocularis. This study shows that the long-term application of regular dog treatment with praziquantel in the vast and remote echinococcosis endemic areas of the eastern Tibetan Plateau can reduce transmission in dogs but remains a challenging intervention.

【 授权许可】

CC BY