/pdf/who-oie-manual-on-echinococcosis-in-humans-and-animals-a-3oxkh54un8.pdf

WHO/OIE manual on echinococcosis in humans and animals: a public health problem of global concern.

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE) are severe helminthic zoonoses. Echinococcus multilocularis (causative agent of AE) is widely distributed in the northern hemisphere where it is typically maintained in a wild animal cycle including canids as definitive hosts and rodents as intermediate hosts. The species Echinococcus granulosus, Echinococcus ortleppi, Echinococcus canadensis and Echinococcus intermedius are the causative agents of CE with a worldwide distribution and a highly variable human disease burden in the different endemic areas depending upon human behavioural risk factors, the diversity and ecology of animal host assemblages and the genetic diversity within Echinococcus species which differ in their zoonotic potential and pathogenicity. Both AE and CE are regarded as neglected zoonoses, with a higher overall burden of disease for CE due to its global distribution and high regional prevalence, but a higher pathogenicity and case fatality rate for AE, especially in Asia. Over the past two decades, numerous studies have addressed the epidemiology and distribution of these Echinococcus species worldwide, resulting in better-defined boundaries of the endemic areas. This chapter presents the global distribution of Echinococcus species and human AE and CE in maps and summarizes the global data on host assemblages, transmission, prevalence in animal definitive hosts, incidence in people and molecular epidemiology.

/pdf/global-distribution-of-alveolar-and-cystic-echinococcosis-51b6ql1ua1.pdf

Global Distribution of Alveolar and Cystic Echinococcosis.

The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari: Ixodidae): from taxonomy to control.

Second WHO report on neglected tropical diseases The second Who reporT builds on the growing sense of optimism generated by the 2012 publication of the WHO Roadmap. Commitments on the part of ministries of health in endemic countries, global health initiatives, funding agencies and philanthropists have escalated since 2010, as have donations of medicines from pharmaceutical companies and the engagement of the scientific community.

Sustaining the drive to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases : second WHO report on neglected tropical diseases

The worldwide incidence and prevalence of cystic echinococcosis have fallen dramatically over the past several decades. Nonetheless, infection with Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) remains a major public health issue in several countries and regions, even in places where it was previously at low levels, as a result of a reduction of control programmes due to economic problems and lack of resources. Geographic distribution differs by country and region depending on the presence in that country of large numbers of nomadic or semi-nomadic sheep and goat flocks that represent the intermediate host of the parasite, and their close contact with the final host, the dog, which mostly provides the transmission of infection to humans. The greatest prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in human and animal hosts is found in countries of the temperate zones, including several parts of Eurasia (the Mediterranean regions, southern and central parts of Russia, central Asia, China), Australia, some parts of America (especially South America) and north and east Africa. Echinococcosis is currently considered an endemic zoonotic disease in the Mediterranean region. The most frequent strain associated with human cystic echinococcosis appears to be the common sheep strain (G1). This strain appears to be widely distributed in all continents. The purpose of this review is to examine the distribution of E. granulosus and the epidemiology of a re-emerging disease such as cystic echinococcosis.

Worldwide epidemiology of liver hydatidosis including the Mediterranean area.

A retrospective analysis of human cystic echinococcosis in Sardinia (Italy), an endemic Mediterranean region, from 2001 to 2005.

Intestinal infection continues to be a problem worldwide and helminths, which currently infect billions of individuals, are primary culprits. The major burden of disease falls on the populations of developing countries, given that over the last four to five decades helminth infections are disappearing in industrialized societies. In developing countries, a major source of immunomodulatory signals in post-natal life are parasites, particularly helminths, which, unlike most bacteria and viruses, selectively stimulate Th2 function. Helminths and their eggs are probably the most potent stimulators of mucosal Th2 responses. Responses elicited by worms can modulate immune reactions to other parasites, bacterial, viral infections and several unrelated diseases. Bacterial and protozoal infections may also protect against atopy and asthma, through the induction of the Th1 regulatory responses. Today, people in developed countries often live in ultra-hygienic environments, avoiding exposure to viruses, bacteria, ectoparasites and endoparasites, particularly helminths. Perhaps failure to acquire worms and experience mucosal Th2 conditioning predisposes to unrelated diseases. In contrast to this hypothesis it has also been suggested that Th2 responses can make the host more susceptible to other important diseases and to contribute to the spread of them.

Causality or coincidence: may the slow disappearance of helminths be responsible for the imbalances in immune control mechanisms?

Hydatidosis, caused by Echinococcus granulosus, is a cyclozoonotic disease of economic significance in Sardinia. The life-cycle involves stray and sheep dogs as definitive hosts and sheep, pigs, goats and cattle as intermediate hosts. The most important intermediate host is sheep, due to home slaughtering with ready access of the viscera to dogs. This survey was undertaken in 1987 to ascertain the epidemiological significance of sheep in maintaining the life-cycle. A total of 700 (91.3%) of 767 sheep harboured hydatid cysts. The frequency distribution of the number of hydatid cysts was over-dispersed. Of 497 infected sheep, 7.6% had fertile cysts, 75.7% sterile cysts and 16.7% fertile + sterile cysts.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022149X00012189

Epidemiology of hydatid disease in Sardinia: a study of fertility of cysts in sheep

Cytokine production during infection with Hymenolepis diminuta in BALBc mice

Hydatidosis, caused by dog tapeworms of the genus Echinococcus, is one of the most important cestode infections in man. Of the four species of the genus Echinococcus, only Echinococcus granulosus is widespread in the Mediterranean basin which is still, unfortunately, a major endemic focus. This article critically reviews its diffusion in humans and sheep over the past twenty years. Although most of the available data are scarce, fragmentary, and not homogeneous, they represent the only possibility at present of evaluating the parasitic pressure.

F. Gabriele

Papers

A retrospective analysis of human cystic echinococcosis in Sardinia (Italy), an endemic Mediterranean region, from 2001 to 2005.

Causality or coincidence: may the slow disappearance of helminths be responsible for the imbalances in immune control mechanisms?

Epidemiology of hydatid disease in Sardinia: a study of fertility of cysts in sheep

Cytokine production during infection with Hymenolepis diminuta in BALBc mice

Epidemiology of hydatid disease in the Mediterranean basin with special reference to Italy.