Study of Prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis Infection in Carnivores of Moghan Plain,North West of Iran in 2007

Echinococcus multilocularis (EM) parasitizes the small intestine of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and other carnivores and has wide distribution throughout the northern hemisphere. In Iran, All of human cases infected with metacestode (alveolar echinococcosis) of EM are reported from Moghan plain in north west of our country. Therefore, following the study of seroepidemiology of alveolar echinococcosis in residents of this region we decided to study of prevalence of EM in definitive hosts infected by adult worms. In this way,two valid and highly sensitive tests, nested PCR and copro- ELISA were used for detection of EM infection in 155 carnivores including 95 red foxes(Vulpes vulpes), 40 stray dogs and 20 jackals. All of the carnivores were hunted under the governmental control program in the region. The final results showed the prevalence of 2.58% for EM infection in Moghan plain (4 out of 155 cases). All of the positive cases were among red foxes, and none of the other carnivores showed positive with both tests. The results gained by both tests (Copro-ELISA and Nested PCR) were similar for positive and negative cases. In conclusion, according to our study Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes and human alveolar echinococcosis are endemic infections in Moghan Plain in north western part of Iran, although the infection of regional rodents with metacestode is not proven yet.