Short communicationThe first instance of a cat excreting Echinococcus multilocularis eggs in Japan
Section snippets
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Drs. Bruno Gottstein, Peter Deplazes, Alexander Mathis, Jean M. Bart and Kinpei Yagi for supplying us the parasite samples. This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grant no. 15380205 and 19580353) and by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan (grant for Research on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases).
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Cited by (19)
High variability in the number of E. multilocularis eggs in cat feces collected in the field
2022, Parasitology InternationalTaeniid cestodes in Tibetan foxes (Vulpes Ferrilata) detected by copro-PCR: Applications and challenges
2020, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and WildlifeCitation Excerpt :However, empirical studies suggested that the detecting efficiency of taeniid eggs in field collected fecal samples might be low. For instance, Nonaka et al. (2008) detected 30% of T. taeniaeformis eggs added in dog feces, and Jiang (2012) reported a 40%. Our previous tests suggested that the Echinococcus DNA detecting rate was only 13.3% (16/120 feces) without PMD, and 62% (74/120) with PMD (Jiang, 2012).
Rural and urban distribution of wild and domestic carnivore stools in the context of Echinococcus multilocularis environmental exposure
2018, International Journal for ParasitologyCitation Excerpt :These experimental observations were confirmed in natural infections in rural endemic areas in France, with only immature worms observed in two of the 25 cats (including one infected wildcat among five tested) but also with the absence of eggs in the 10 faecal samples exhibiting E. multilocularis DNA (3.1%, n = 321) (Umhang et al., 2015). However, in the field, parasite eggs were isolated from cat faeces in different countries including France, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany (Nonaka et al., 2008; Knapp et al., 2016a) with faecal prevalence reaching 4.6% (2/43) in a village of eastern France (Knapp et al., 2016a). In France, a large fox survey showed the presence of E. multilocularis in 36 among 44 départements (French administrative divisions) investigated in the northeastern part of the country (Combes et al., 2012, 2013)).
The echinococcoses in Asia: The present situation
2017, Acta TropicaCitation Excerpt :There are also two additional reviews (Obayashi et al., 1971; Yamashita, 1973) and four monographs (Ito et al., 2006, 2013a; Uchino and Sato, 1993, 1996) presenting information on echinococcosis in Japan (Ito et al., 2003a, 2005a, 2005b; Kamiya, 2007; Nakao et al., 1988; Nonaka et al., 2006; Takahashi, 2005, 2007). Red foxes (V. vulpes) (Takahashi and Mori, 2001), dogs (Nonaka et al., 2009; Takahashi and Mori, 2001), cats (Ambo et al., 1954; Nonaka et al., 2008; Takahashi and Mori, 2001; Yagi et al., 1984), and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) (Yiman et al., 2002) have been confirmed to be definitive hosts of E. multilocularis on Hokkaido. Thus far, it has been assumed that all indigenous Japanese human AE cases are caused by the Asian genotype (Ito et al., 2003a, 2005a; Nakao et al., 2003, 2007, 2009; Okamoto et al., 2007; Oku and Kamiya, 2003; Takahashi, 2005), which is believed to have been originally imported from the nearby Kuril Islands (Ishino, 1941; Ito, 2015; Yamashita, 1973) (Fig. 2).
Ecology and Life Cycle Patterns of Echinococcus Species
2017, Advances in ParasitologyCitation Excerpt :The role of domestic cats in Asia seems to resemble the situation in Europe. In Japan, there are some records of cat infection, but infectivity of excreted eggs could not be determined (Nonaka et al., 2008). Infection of Lynx (Lynx lynx) has been reported from the Altai (Pomamarev et al., 2011; cited in chapter: Global Distribution of Alveolar and Cystic Echinococcosis by Deplazes et al., 2016).
Echinococcus multilocularis detection in the intestines and feces of free-ranging domestic cats (Felis s. catus) and European wildcats (Felis s. silvestris) from northeastern France
2015, Veterinary ParasitologyCitation Excerpt :According to experimental infections, the fecundity of worms in cats was low with only 0.76 eggs excreted per worm and were not infectious in mice (Kapel et al., 2006; Nonaka et al., 2008). Although not observed in this study, the presence of E. multilocularis thick-shelled eggs (i.e., embryophore containing a hexacanth embryo) in naturally infected cat feces has already been described, with up to 440 eggs per gram (Nonaka et al., 2008). Other surveys are necessary to totally clarify the putative role of cats as a source of infection for humans (Nonaka et al., 2008) and prevents totally ruling out the subsequent zoonotic risk, even if it should be considered as very low (Deplazes et al., 1999; Thompson et al., 2003; Nonaka et al., 2008).
- 1
Central Institute for Experimental Animals, Kawasaki 216-0001, Japan.
- 2
Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan.
- 3
Chubu Shiryo, Chita 478-8502, Japan.
- 4
Asahi Kasei, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan.