Echinococcus multilocularis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Echinococcus multilocularis is a tapeworm of foxes that may cause a zoonotic infection resulting in a highly pathogenic and potentially fatal chronic liver infestation called human alveolar echinococcosis. Radical liver resection currently offers the only potential cure. Although alveolar echinococcosis is a rare parasitic disease that is restricted to transmission in the northern hemisphere, the parasite is geographically widespread being distributed from Alaska, across Canada and north central USA, through northern Europe and Eurasia to Japan. The present review summarizes the background to this helminthic infection and recent contributions in areas of pathology, diagnosis, treatment and transmission.

RECENT FINDINGS: Concern is growing in Europe that the prevalence and distribution of E. multilocularis in red foxes has increased significantly in the last 10-15 years. A retrospective analysis revealed >550 cases of human alveolar echinococcosis diagnosed between 1982-2000, with the majority in France, Germany and Switzerland. Human prevalence rates >3% occur in central northwest China and the disease is of public health concern in northern Japan. Improvements in immunodiagnosis with native and recombinant antigens have enabled more accurate confirmation of hepatic image findings, while development of in-vitro culture of metacestode tissues provides a useful model for screening new anti-alveolar echinococcosis drugs as alternatives to albendazole and surgery. Recombinant molecules from the oncosphere and metacestode stages have shown potential as vaccine candidates. New tools of coproantigen and copro-DNA detection for vulpine infections have proved highly beneficial in epidemiological and transmission ecology studies, as has a landscape ecology approach to develop risk models for communities in endemic areas.

SUMMARY: It is possible that human AE will become an emergent zoonosis in some regions of Europe and Eurasia. Improvements in diagnostic and treatment approaches are being investigated. Further understanding of host immune responses will aid in characterization of disease pathology. Control of E. multilocularis in its natural cycles will be difficult due to the involvement of wild animal hosts, however use of anthelminthic baits and dosing of domestic dogs may reduce transmission at local scales.