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Spatial spreading of Echinococcus multilocularis in Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) across nation borders in Western Europe |
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| Authors: | Vervaeke Muriel van der Giessen Joke Brochier Bernard Losson Bernard Jordaens Kurt Verhagen Ron Coulander Cor de Lezenne Teunis Peter |
| Affiliation: | aUniversity of Antwerp, Department of Biology, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium bNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands cScientific Institute of Public Health, Rue Juliette Wytsman 14, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium dUniversité de Liège, Département de Parasitologie et Pathologie des Maladies Parasitaires, Boulevard de Colonster 20, B-4000 Liège, Belgium |
| Abstract: | The occurrence of the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis in Red foxes was studied in Belgium and a neighbouring region in The Netherlands. A total number of 1202 foxes were analysed (1018 in Belgium and 184 in The Netherlands) of which 179 were infected with E. multilocularis (164 in Belgium and 15 in The Netherlands). Further, the spatial distribution of infection among sampled foxes was analysed with an ellipsoidal gradient, demonstrating a decreasing prevalence in northwestern direction. Using this gradient, we showed that the spatial patterns of infection in Belgium and the neighbouring region in The Netherlands correspond, indicating a continuous distribution of E. multilocularis across the nation borders. Part of the Belgian data allowed investigating temporal changes in the spatial distribution of E. multilocularis. This revealed a northwestern spread of E. multilocularis. |
| Keywords: | Echinococcus multilocularis Vulpes vulpes Spatial analysis Belgium The Netherlands |
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