A Pilot Study on Deworming Wild Foxes for Echinococcus spp. in Qinghai, China

Abstract

Background: Wild foxes play an important role in echinococcosis epidemics. There have been a few studies investigating Echinococcus spp. in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau area, China, but none on the prevention and control of Echinococcus spp. in wild foxes.
 Methods: From 2016 March through December 2019, two wild fox dens were selected as two test sites based on prior long-term camera screening and observation. Anthelmintic praziquantel tablets were placed near the two dens of wild foxes, and the wild foxes freely consumed the anthelmintic drugs. Morphological methods were used to detect initially the parasite species, and PCR molecular methods were used to identify accurately parasite and host species.
 Results: Parasite eggs of E. multilocularis (2/11, 18.2%) were found in 11 fecal samples. Importantly, the eggs of E. multilocularis (1/21, 4.8%) were found again in the feces of the foxes one year later; moreover, the eggs of E. multilocularis (2/19, 10.5%) still existed in the feces of the foxes two years later.
 Conclusion: Wild foxes were repeatedly infected with E. multilocularis and that deworming for prevention and control is required at least twice per year. Prevention and control methods for echinococcosis in wild foxes were explored, providing a scientific basis for the prevention and control of echinococcosis in wild animals.

Epidemiological Characteristics and Risk Factors for Cystic and Alveolar Echinococcosis in China: An Analysis of a National Population-Based Field Survey from 2012 to 2016

“…Nationally, sex-specific significant differences were observed for both diseases (P < 0.0001), showing that females are on average 1. 35 1). The detailed demographic characteristics of echinococcosis for each province are shown in Additional file 5: Tables S1-S9.…”

Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors for cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in China: an analysis of a national population-based field survey

“…Thus, the reported prevalence in this survey among people may be underestimated. Second, several studies have proved that wild animals, such as foxes and wolves, can be infected with E. multilocularis [ 35 ]; however, fine-scale data were not available on the wild animals in China due to practical difficulties in the field survey. Third, some researchers take the complex interaction among environmental, biological and social factors into consideration [ 31 ], which has not been discussed in this study.…”