Cystic echinococcosis in equids in Italy

Abstract

Between March 2003 and February 2007, the livers and the lungs of 2,231 horses from various Italian regions were examined for cystic echinococcosis presence at the time of slaughter. Hydatid cysts were found in six horses, namely four from Sardinia, one from Sicily, and one from Tuscany. The location, number, morphology, and fertility of the cysts found were determined. DNA was extracted from the germinal layers and protoscoleces of the fertile cysts and polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were performed in order to strain type DNA isolates for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1), cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) and 12S partial genes. The PCR products were then purified and sequenced in forward and reverse. Hydatid materials obtained from positive animals were identified as Echinococcus granulosus s.s. (old G1, sheep strain) and Echinococcus equinus (old G4, horse strain) for ND1, CO1, and 12S partial genes. This allowed us to record the presence of the E. equinus in Italy for the first time with molecular tools and also to report new data on the epidemiological situation of this parasite in Italy.

Global Distribution of Alveolar and Cystic Echinococcosis

“…Echinococcus equinus (G4) has been documented in horses from Spain and Italy Varcasia et al, 2008a) and E. ortleppi (G5) was found in cattle from Italy and France Grenouillet et al, 2014). In a study conducted in France by Grenouillet et al, 2014), evidence of liver infections caused by E. ortleppi was reported in two humans.…”

“…In 2008, the presence of G2 in water buffaloes from southern Italy (a Mediterranean area) was reported for the first time Casulli et al, 2008;, and (Calderini et al, 2012) reported the occurrence of the G3 genotype in goats. Echinococcus granulosus (G1eG3) has been (Maurelli et al, 2015) and in humans in the Campania region, E. intermedius (G7) in pigs in Sardinia , E. ortleppi in cattle in the Lombardy region , and E. equinus in horses of Tuscany, Sardinia and Sicily Varcasia et al, 2008a). p1110…”

First detection and molecular characterization of Echinococcus equinus in a Mule in Turkey

“…The intermediate hosts of E. equinus are equids (horses, donkeys, and zebras) (Jenkins et al, 2005). Other Echinococcus species may also cause CE in horses, however those cysts are not usually fertile (Varcasia et al, 2008). Canids (dogs and probably foxes) serve as definitive hosts of E. equinus (Thompson and McManus, 2002).…”

“…Recently, a hydatid cyst isolated from the lungs of a mare was identified as E. equinus in southern Germany (Blutke et al, 2010). Varcasia et al (2008) identified both E. equinus and E. granulosus s.s. in horses, although cysts of the latter showed aberrant morphological characters and were never fertile. Utuk and Simsek (2013) also reported the E. granulosus s.s. in a horse hydatid cyst isolate in Turkey.…”

“…It was stated that E. equinus, although having a lower occurrence, shows a very high rate of fertility and very well-developed hydatid cysts (Varcasia et al, 2008). Ponce et al, (1998) reported that the parasite is usually unable to develop into fertile cysts and only small caseous cysts can be observed in infected animals.…”