Relevant research on Echinococcus multilocularis

What does the future look like?

What do we know about Echinococcosis so far?

3rd most relevant food-borne zoonosis in the world

Alveolar Echinococcosis, is a primarily hepatic infection caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis.

It is estimated to affect more than 18,000 people per year globally.

An expert's lesson!

Educational video on ‘Echinococcosis in dogs’ , explained by Dr. Alessandro Massolo.

Thanks to CommuniVet collaboration!

Synopsis on
Echinococcus multilocularis

The larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis is the etiological agent of alveolar echinococcosis, a parasitic zoonotic disease distributed in the Northern hemisphere.

Echinococcus spp. explained by the CDC

What different diseases are related to the tapeworms of the genus Echinocococcus?

Publications by One-Health in Practice
in North America

Liccioli, S., Bialowas, C., Ruckstuhl, K. E., & Massolo, A. (2015). Feeding ecology informs parasite epidemiology: Prey selection modulates encounter rate with Echinococcus multilocularis in urban coyotes. PLoS ONE, 10(3), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121646

Santa, M. A., Rezansoff, A. M., Chenid, R., Gilleard, J. S., Musiani, M., Ruckstuhl, K. E., & Massolo, A. (2021). Deep amplicon sequencing highlights low intra-host genetic variability of echinococcus multilocularis and high prevalence of the european-type haplotypes in coyotes and red foxes in Alberta, Canada. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 15(5), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009428

Santa, M. A., Pastran, S. A., Klein, C., Duignan, P., Ruckstuhl, K., Romig, T., & Massolo, A. (2018). Detecting co-infections of Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis in coyotes and red foxes in Alberta, Canada using real-time PCR. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 7(2), 111–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.03.001

Massolo, A., Liccioli, S., Budke, C., & Klein, C. (2014). Echinococcus multilocularis in North America: The great unknown. Parasite, 21. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2014069

Massolo, A., Klein, C., Kowalewska-Grochowska, K., Belga, S., MacDonald, C., Vaughan, S., … Houston, S. (2019). European Echinococcus multilocularis Identified in Patients in Canada. New England Journal of Medicine, 381(4), 384–385. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmc1814975

Smith, A. F., Semeniuk, C. A. D., Kutz, S. J., & Massolo, A. (2014). Dog-walking behaviours affect gastrointestinal parasitism in park-attending dogs. Parasites and Vectors, 7(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-429

Liccioli, S., Catalano, S., Kutz, S. J., Lejeune, M., Verocai, G. G., Duignan, P. J., … Massolo, A. (2012). Sensitivity of double centrifugation sugar fecal flotation for detecting intestinal helminths in coyotes (canis latrans). Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 48(3), 717–723. https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-48.3.717

Liccioli, S., Rogers, S., Greco, C., Kutz, S. J., Chan, F., Ruckstuhl, K. E., & Massolo, A. (2015). Assessing individual patterns of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in urban coyotes: Non-invasive genetic sampling as an epidemiological tool. Journal of Applied Ecology, 52(2), 434–442. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12401

Liccioli, S., Kutz, S. J., Ruckstuhl, K. E., & Massolo, A. (2014). Spatial heterogeneity and temporal variations in Echinococcus multilocularis infections in wild hosts in a North American urban setting. International Journal for Parasitology, 44(7), 457–465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2014.03.007

Massolo, A., Klein, C., Kowalewska-Grochowska, K., Belga, S., MacDonald, C., Vaughan, S., … Houston, S. (2019). European Echinococcus multilocularis Identified in Patients in Canada . New England Journal of Medicine, 381(4), 384–385. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmc1814975

Liccioli, S., Giraudoux, P., Deplazes, P., & Massolo, A. (2015). Wilderness in the “city” revisited: Different urbes shape transmission of Echinococcus multilocularis by altering predator and prey communities. Trends in Parasitology, 31(7), 297–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2015.04.007

Massolo, A. (2019). Recent alveolar echinococcosis cases in North America warrant further investigation. Cmaj, 191(48), E1338. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.73510

Toews, E., Musiani, M., Checkley, S., Visscher, D., & Massolo, A. (2021). A global assessment of Echinococcus multilocularis infections in domestic dogs: proposing a framework to overcome past methodological heterogeneity. International Journal for Parasitology, 51(5), 379–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.10.008

Mori, K., Liccioli, S., Marceau, D., & Massolo, A. (2019). A community analysis approach to parasite transmission in multi-host systems: Assemblages of small mammal prey and Echinococcus multilocularis in an urban area in North America. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 9(September 2018), 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.03.012

Santa, M. A., Pastran, S., Klein, C., Ruckstuhl, K., & Massolo, A. (2019). Evaluation of an automated magnetic bead-based DNA extraction and real-time PCR in fecal samples as a pre-screening test for detection of Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis in coyotes. Parasitology Research, 118(1),119–125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6125-y

Chien, C. (2020). Pathology in Practice Clinical and Gross Findings. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 248(6), 621–623.

Klein, C., Barua, S., Liccioli, S., & Massolo, A. (2019). Neospora caninum DNA in coyote fecal samples collected in an urban environment. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 55(1), 196–199. https://doi.org/10.7589/2018-02-027

Smith, A. F., Rock, M., Neumann, N., & Massolo, A. (2015). Urban park-related risks for Giardia spp. infection in dogs. Epidemiology and Infection, 143(15), 3277–3291. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268815000400

Santa, M. A., Pastran, S. A., Klein, C., Duignan, P., Ruckstuhl, K., Romig, T., & Massolo, A. (2018). Corrigendum to ‘Detecting co-infections of Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis in coyotes and red foxes in Alberta, Canada using real-time PCR’ (International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife (2018) 7(2) (111–115), (S2213224417301499) (10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.03.001)). International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 7(3), 463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.07.006

Romig, T., Deplazes, P., Jenkins, D., Giraudoux, P., Massolo, A., Craig, P. S., … de la Rue, M. (2017). Ecology and Life Cycle Patterns of Echinococcus Species. Advances in Parasitology, 95, 213–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.apar.2016.11.002

Maas, M., van Roon, A., Dam-Deisz, C., Opsteegh, M., Massolo, A., Deksne, G., … van der Giessen, J. (2016). Evaluation by latent class analysis of a magnetic capture based DNA extraction followed by real-time qPCR as a new diagnostic method for detection of Echinococcus multilocularis in definitive hosts. Veterinary Parasitology, 230, 20–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.10.016

Massolo, A., Liccioli, S., Budke, C., & Klein, C. (2014). Echinococcus multilocularis in North America: The great unknown. Parasite, 21. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2014069

McCormack, G. R., Rock, M., Swanson, K., Burton, L., & Massolo, A. (2014). Physical activity patterns in urban neighbourhood parks: Insights from a multiple case study. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-962

Rock, M. J., Adams, C. L., Degeling, C., Massolo, A., & McCormack, G. R. (2015). Perspectives: Policies on pets for healthy cities: A conceptual framework. Health Promotion International, 30(4), 976–986. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dau017

Gesy, K., Hill, J. E., Schwantje, H., Liccioli, S., & Jenkins, E. J. (2013). Establishment of a European-type strain of Echinococcus multilocularis in Canadian wildlife. Parasitology, 140(9), 1133–1137. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182013000607

Liccioli, S., Duignan, P. J., Lejeune, M., Deunk, J., Majid, S., & Massolo, A. (2013). A new intermediate host for Echinococcus multilocularis: The southern red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi) in urban landscape in Calgary, Canada. Parasitology International, 62(4), 355–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2013.03.007

Liccioli, S., Catalano, S., Kutz, S. J., Lejeune, M., Verocai, G. G., Duignan, P. J., … Massolo, A. (2012). Gastrointestinal parasites of coyotes (Canis latrans) in the metropolitan area of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 90(8), 1023–1030. https://doi.org/10.1139/Z2012-070

Gesy, K. M., Schurer, J. M., Massolo, A., Liccioli, S., Elkin, B. T., Alisauskas, R., & Jenkins, E. J. (2014). Unexpected diversity of the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis in wildlife in Canada. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 3(2), 81–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2014.03.002

Smith, A. F., Semeniuk, C. A. D., Rock, M. J., & Massolo, A. (2015). Reported off-leash frequency and perception of risk for gastrointestinal parasitism are not associated in owners of urban park-attending dogs: A multifactorial investigation. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 120(3–4), 336–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2015.03.017

Klein, C., & Massolo, A. (2015). Demonstration that a case of human alveolar echinococcosis in Minnesota in 1977 was caused by the N2 strain. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 92(3), 477–478. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.14-0484

What does the World Health Organization (WHO) say about Echinococcosis?

More than 1 million people are affected with alveolar or cystic echinococcosis at any one time.

What are the primary causes?

Risk Factors for Alveolar Echinococcosis in Humans

Other Key Publications on Echinococcus multilocularis in North America

Some of the key publications on this topic.

Torgerson, P. R., Robertson, L. J., Enemark, H. L., Foehr, J., van der Giessen, J. W. B., Kapel, C. M. O., … Trevisan, C. (2020). Source attribution of human echinococcosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14(6), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008382

Cerda, J., Buttke, D., & Ballweber, L. (2018). Echinococcus spp. Tapeworms in North America. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 24(2), 230-235.

Kern, P., Ammon, A., Kron, M., Sinn, G., Sander, S., Petersen, L. R….Kern, P. (2004). Risk Factors for Alveolar Echinococcosis in Humans. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 10(12), 2088-2093.

Peregrine, A, Jenkins, E et al. Alveolar hydatid disease (Echinococcus multilocularis) in the liver of a Canadian dog in British Columbia, a newly endemic region. CVJ 2012:53(8): 870-874.

Jenkins, E. J., Peregrine, A. S., Hill, J. E., Somers, C., Gesy, K., Barnes, B….Polley, L. (2012). Detection of European Strain of Echinococcus multilocularis in North America. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 18(6), 1010-1012.

Torgerson PR, Keller K, Magnotta M, Ragland N. 2010. The global burden of Alveolar Echinococcosis. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 4, e722.