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COST ACTION 920 |
Inventory of QMRA Studies in Europe |
Data sheet
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Pathogen |
Echinococcus multilocularis |
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Country or region |
The Netherlands |
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Transmission route |
From |
Fox |
To |
Humans | |
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Specific product(s) |
None | ||||
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End-point(s) |
Prevalence in foxes. Numbers of parasite in foxes, rodents, and in the environment. | ||||
Reports or publications
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Bibliographic reference |
Takumi K, van der Giessen, J. Transmission dynamics of Echinococcus multilocularis; its reproduction number, persistence in an area of low rodent prevalence, and effectiveness of control. |
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Abstract |
On the basis of high prevalences of Echinococcus
multilocularis in the growing fox populations in Central Europe, its total
biomass may have increased significantly in the past 20 years. E.
multilocularis is now also found in areas outside the known endemic area in
Central Europe. Therefore, E.
multilocularis, the causative agent of a serious parasitic zoonosis, might
be of major concern for public health and a challenge to control. Few
experimental field trials to control E.
multilocularis using an anti-worm drug reduced parasite burden in a
contaminated region during the control campaign, but failed to eradicate the
parasite completely. It was our aim to develop a mathematical model describing
biomass of egg, larval, and worm stages of E.
multilocularis life cycle, and simulate a hypothetical control campaign.
Additionally, we derived the reproduction number of this parasite and explore
conditions for the persistence of the parasite’s life cycle.
Our model shows that while control campaigns rapidly
reduce the worm burden in definitive host and consequently eggs in the
environment, the pool of larvae in intermediate host remains large. Parasite
life cycle persists in a region where prevalence in intermediate host is low
(~1%). |
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Status |
In progress |
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Availability |
Project group
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Institute |
RIVM,
P.O. Box 1, 3720 Bilthoven, the Netherlands |
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Contact person |
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Partners |