Acta Parasitologica, Vol. 51, No. 2, 2006, 107-110 Katarina Reiterova(1)*, Ewa Dziemian(2), Martina Miterpakova(1), Daniela Antolova(1),
Marta Kolodziej-Sobocinska(2), Barbara Machnicka(2) and Pavol Dubinsky(1) - Occurrence of Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes from
the Carpathian regions of Slovakia and Poland
(1)Parasitological Institute, SAS, 3 Hlinkova Str., 040 01 Kosice, Slovak Republic; (2)W. Stefanski Institute of Parasitology,
PAS, 51/55 Twarda Str., 00-818 Warsaw, Poland
*Corresponding author: reiter@saske.sk
ABSTRACT
The extensive distribution of Echinococcus multilocularis cestode from endemic alpine areas to the parts of Central Europe
has been recorded in recent years. The first confirmed finding of E. multilocularis in Slovakia was recorded in 1999 in the area
adjacent to the Polish border. At present, this serious zoonosis occurs almost across the whole territory of Slovakia. The occurrence
of these tapeworms in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) at the border regions of Slovakia and Poland has been monitored. In these
districts, out of 152 faecal samples examined, 36.2% were positive for the coproantigen-ELISA. With the sedimentation and
counting technique the prevalence of E. multilocularis in red foxes was up to 38.8%. The examination of foxes from neighbouring
districts revealed worm burden ranging from 1-15,000 specimens, but the majority of animals harboured medium number
of tapeworms. In the Small Carpathian and Sub-Carpathian regions of Poland, out of 65 samples examined, 13.8% were
coproantigen positive. Using the small intestine scraping method only 6.1% prevalence of E. multilocularis in red foxes was
determined, mostly with a high worm burdens over 1,000 specimens. The results suggest possible transborder transmission of
E. multilocularis, the causative agent of serious alveolar echinococcosis.
KEY WORDS: Echinococcus multilocularis, red foxes, zoonosis, coproantigen-ELISA