- a study of Echinococcus multilocularis the causative agent of human AE
- human AS is caused by the metacestode stage, it is a severe, progressive disease that can lead to death in as little as 10-15 years
- treatments are surgery and chemotherapy which can prolong the patients life, but a cure is only achieved if the metacestodes are completely eliminated
- has a wide distribution in central Europe
- sources of infection involve the red fox
- humans are infected with the parasite primarily through infected fox feces
- 3 reasons are given in the article for the apparent rise in the number of human infections
- increasing fox populations and parasite prevalences - possibly due to reduced fox mortality after anti-rabies vaccination
- invasion of villages and cities by foxes
- the role of domestic dogs and cats in disease transmission to humans
- dogs and cats can be definitive hosts of the parasite by ingesting rodents harbouring the metacestode stages
- however there is little information on the actual role this might play in transmission to humans
- dogs are especially highly susceptible, whereas the susceptiblity of cats appears to be reduced
- also examined the factors associated with the spread of E. multilocularis, transmission dynamics, distribution, the incidence of human AE, awareness of the disease and whether it is ermerging or re-emerging
- Is E. multilocularis spreading? - unclear
- parasites may be spreading or it might just be a case of detection in regions it was always present in, but never discovered (could be due to greater awareness of the parasite)
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