First report of Echinococcus shiquicus in dogs from eastern Qinghai–Tibet plateau region, China

Echinococcus shiquicus was discovered in foxes and pika wildlife hosts in Sichuan Province, China in 2005. Faecal samples from dogs collected in a previous echinococcosis purgation survey from Shiqu County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Sichuan) were screened by coproPCR to investigate the possible occurrence of E. shiquicus. In addition, coproDNA extracted from 8 necropsied Tibetan foxes (Vulpes ferrilata), the natural host of E. shiquicus, were also included. Thirty (6/20) percent of faecal samples from dogs were positive for E. shiquicus DNA after PCR amplification of a fragment within the ND1 mitochondrial gene. Echinococcus shiquicus was confirmed by sequencing in four dogs and 3 of the 6 dogs were concurrently infected with E. multilocularis. These were also verified by sequencing. Faecal samples from two Tibetan foxes were shown by PCR to harbour both E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus DNA. One of these dual E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus infections in a Tibetan fox was confirmed by sequencing.

Graphical abstractEchinococcus shiquicus was discovered in foxes and pika wildlife in 2005. For the first time the natural infection of dogs with E. shiquicus was confirmed.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Echinococcus shiquicus was discovered in foxes and pika wildlife hosts in Sichuan Province, China in 2005. ► In view of the potential widespread occurrence of dual Echinococcus species infections in the eastern Tibetan plateau region, coproDNA panels from a previous dog purgation study were re-examined. ► CoproDNA extracted from 6 (30%) of those dogs gave positive signals when amplified using the E. shiquicus ND1 primers yielding a diagnostic 442 bp fragment.