Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T17:24:22.259Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Canine echinococcosis: the predominance of immature eggs in adult tapeworms of Echinococcus granulosus in stray dogs from Tunisia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2016

W. Iraqi*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, Faculty of Science of Rabat, Mohamed V University, Morocco
*

Abstract

Canine echinococcosis is caused by the adult tapeworm of Echinococcus granulosus. As intermediate hosts, humans and livestock become infected following ingestion of eggs that are passed in the faeces of dogs. Mature eggs develop into hydatid cysts in different organs, leading to hydatid disease, which is a serious public health problem. In the present study, we investigated the proportion of mature eggs of E. granulosus in 140 dogs from three regions of Tunisia. The results showed the predominance of immature E. granulosus eggs in infected dogs and the occurrence of a small proportion of oncospheres. The ability of immature eggs to infect humans and livestock is discussed.

Type
Short Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aoun, K. & Bouratbine, A. (2007) Epidemiological data concerning hydatidosis in Tunisia. Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses 37, 4042.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chahed, M.K., Bellali, H., Touinsi, H., Cherif, R., Ben Safta, Z., Essoussi, M. & Kilani, T. (2010) Distribution of surgical hydatidosis in Tunisia, results of 2001–2005 study and trends between 1977 and 2005. Archives de l'Institut Pasteur de Tunis 87, 4352.Google Scholar
Constantine, C.C., Lymbery, A.J., Jenkins, D.J., Bennet-Jenkins, E.M., Behm, C.A & Thompson, R.C.A. (1998) Factors influencing the development and carbohydrate metabolism of Echinococcus granulosus in dogs. Journal of Parasitology 84, 873881.Google Scholar
Craig, P.S., Macpherson, C.N. & Nelson, G.S. (1986) The identification of eggs of Echinococcus by immunofluorescence using a specific anti-oncospheral monoclonal antibody. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 35, 152158.Google Scholar
Craig, P.S., McManus, D.P., Lightowlers, M.W., Chabalgoity, J.A, Garcia, H.H., Gavidia, C.M., Gilman, R.H., Gonzalez, A.E., Lorca, M., Naquira, C., Nieto, A. & Schantz, P.M. (2007) Prevention and control of cystic echinococcosis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 7, 385394.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eckert, J. & Deplazes, P. (2004) Biological, epidemiological, and clinical aspects of echinococcosis, a zoonosis of increasing concern. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 17, 107135.Google Scholar
Eckert, J., Gottstein, B., Heath, D. & Liu, F.J. (2001) Prevention of echinococcosis in humans and safety precautions. pp. 96105 in Eckert, T.J., Gemmell, M.A., Meslin, F.X. & Pawłowski, Z.S. (Eds) WHO/OIE manual on echinococcosis in humans and animals: a public health problem of global concern. Paris, France, World Health Organization.Google Scholar
Gauci, C., Heath, D.D., Chow, C. & Lightowlers, M.W. (2005) Hydatid disease: vaccinology and development of the EG95 recombinant vaccine. Expert Review Vaccines 4, 103112.Google Scholar
Gemmell, M.A., Lawson, J.R. & Roberts, M.G. (1986) Population dynamics in echinococcosis and cysticercosis: biological parameters of Echinococcus granulosus in dogs and sheep. Parasitology 92, 599620.Google Scholar
Gemmell, M.A., Lawson, J.R. & Roberts, M.G. (1987) Population dynamics in echinococcosis and cysticercosis: evaluation of the biological parameters of Taenia hydatıgena and comparison with those of Echinococcus granulosus . Parasitology 94, 161180.Google Scholar
Heath, D.D., Robinson, C., Shakes, T., Huang, Y., Gulnur, T., Shi, B., Zhang, Z., Anderson, G.A. & Lightowlers, M.W. (2012) Vaccination of bovines against Echinococcus granulosus (cystic echinococcosis). Vaccine 30, 30763081.Google Scholar
Jenkins, D.J., Fraser, A., Bradshaw, H. & Craig, P.S. (2000) Detection of Echinococcus granulosus coproantigens in Australian canids with natural or experimental infection. Journal of Parasitology 86, 140145.Google Scholar
Lahmar, S., Kilani, M. & Torgerson, P.R. (2001) Frequency distributions of Echinococcus granulosus and other helminths in stray dogs in Tunisia. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 95, 6976.Google Scholar
Lahmar, S., Lahmar, S., Boufana, B., Bradshaw, H. & Craig, P.S. (2007) Screening for Echinococcus granulosus in dogs: comparison between arecoline purgation, coproELISA and coproPCR with necropsy in pre-patent infections. Veterinary Parasitology 144, 287292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lahmar, S., Trifi, M., Ben Naceur, S., Bouchhima, T., Lahouar, N., Lamouchi, I., Maâmouri, N., Selmi, R., Dhibi, M. & Torgerson, P.R. (2013) Cystic echinococcosis in slaughtered domestic ruminants from Tunisia. Journal of Helminthology 87, 318325.Google Scholar
Majorowski, M.M., Carabin, H., Kilani, M. & Ben, S.A. (2005) Echinococcosis in Tunisia: a cost analysis. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 99, 268278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Petavy, A.F., Hormaeche, A., Lahmar, S., Ouhelli, H., Chabalgoity, A., Marchal, T., Azzouz, S., Schreiber, F., Alvite, G., Sarciron, M.E., Maskell, D., Esteves, A. & Bosquet, G. (2008) An oral recombinant vaccine in dogs against Echinococcus granulosus, the causative agent of human hydatid disease: A pilot study. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2, 125.Google Scholar
Thevenet, P.S., Jensen, O., Drut, R., Cerrone, G.E., Grenóvero, M.S., Alvarez, H.M., Targovnik, H.M. & Basualdo, J.A. (2005) Viability and infectiousness of eggs of Echinococcus granulosus aged under natural conditions of inferior arid climate. Veterinary Parasitology 133, 7177.Google Scholar
World Health Organization. (2013) Echinococcosis. WHO Factsheet, No. 377. Geneva, WHO.Google Scholar
Zhang, W., Zhang, Z., Shi, B., Li, J., You, H., Tulson, G., Dang, X., Song, Y., Yimiti, T., Wang, J., Jones, M.K. & McManus, D.P. (2006) Vaccination of dogs against Echinococcus granulosus the cause of cystic hydatid disease in humans. Journal of Infectious Diseases 194, 966974.Google Scholar