Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Poland: an update of the epidemiological situation

Echinococcus multilocularis, an intestinal cestode parasite of foxes and ot her carnivores, is the causative agent of human alveolar echinococcosis whi ch is a lethal infection in a high percentage of untreated patients. After the first record of E. multilocularis in foxes in Poland in 1995 by our gro up further epidemiological studies were performed. During the study period (October 1993 until March 1998) 2,951 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were sample d in 43 of the 49 districts (voivodships), representing approximately 280,0 00 km(2) or 89% of the whole territory of Poland. The average sampling dens ity was 10.5 foxes per 1,000 km(2). Foxes infected with E. multilocularis w ere found in 18 of the 43 districts (42%), with more affected districts in the northern part (15 of 22) than in the southern part (3 of 21). The avera ge prevalence of E. multilocularis in all districts where foxes had been sa mpled was low at 2.6%. The north-west, south-west and south-east regions of the country had low average prevalences from 0.4 to 2.2% but a higher prev alence of 11.8% was found in the north-east region. Prevalences varied wide ly between districts, reaching highest values of 20 and 36% in two of the n orth-eastern districts. It is concluded that E. multilocularis represents a potential infection risk to humans in wide areas of Poland but, the true r isk cannot be defined at present. Further studies are needed in order to ob tain a more complete epidemiological picture.