Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) of the Italian Alpine region: is there a focus of autochthonous transmission?

Casulli, A; Manfredi, M T; La Rosa, G; Di Cerbo, A R; Dinkel, A; Romig, T; Deplazes, P; Genchi, C; Pozio, E

doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2005.04.005

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Casulli, A., Manfredi, M. T., La Rosa, G., Di Cerbo, A. R., Dinkel, A., Romig, T., Deplazes, P., Genchi, C., & Pozio, E. (2005). Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) of the Italian Alpine region: is there a focus of autochthonous transmission? International Journal for Parasitology, 35(10), 1079–1083. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2005.04.005

Abstract

Alveolar echinococcosis, caused by the metacestode of Echinococcus multilocularis, is a zoonosis with a wider distribution area than described in the past. Fox populations living in the Alpine regions of Italy had been considered free from this parasite until 2002, when two infected foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were detected in the Bolzano province (Trentino Alto Adige region) near the Austrian border. The aim of this work was to evaluate the prevalence of infection in red fox populations from five Italian regions. A modified nested PCR anal