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Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic neglected tropical disease (zNTD) which imposes considerable financial burden to endemic countries. The 2021-2030 World Health Organization's roadmap on NTDs has proposed that intensified control be achieved in hyperendemic areas of 17 countries by 2030. Successful interventions for disease control, and the scale-up of programmes applying such interventions, rely on understanding the associated costs and relative return for investment. We conducted a scoping review of existing peer-reviewed literature on economic evaluations of CE control strategies focused on Echinococcus granulosus zoonotic hosts. Database searches of Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, CABI Direct and JSTOR were conducted and comprehensively reviewed in March 2022, using predefined search criteria with no date, field or language restrictions. A total of 100 papers were initially identified and assessed for eligibility against strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Bibliography review of included manuscripts was used to identify additional literature. Full review of the final manuscript selection (n = 9) was performed and cost data for control interventions were extracted. There are very little published data pertaining to the cost and cost effectiveness of CE control interventions targeting its zoonotic hosts. Data given for costs are often incomplete, thus we were unable to perform an economic analysis and cost effectiveness study, highlighting a pressing need for this information. There is much scope for future work in this area. More detailed information and disaggregated costings need to be collected and made available. This would increase the accuracy of any cost-effective analyses to be performed and allow for a greater understanding of the opportunity cost of healthcare decisions and resource allocation by stakeholders and policy makers for effective and cost-effective CE control.

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) as a prevalent tapeworm infection of human and herbivorous animals worldwide, is caused by accidental ingestion of Echinococcus granulosus eggs excreted from infected dogs. CE is endemic in the Middle East and North Africa, and is considered as an important parasitic zoonosis in Iran. It is transmitted between dogs as the primary definitive host and different livestock species as the intermediate hosts. One of the most important measures for CE control is dog deworming with praziquantel. Due to the frequent reinfection of dogs, intensive deworming campaigns are critical for breaking CE transmission. Dog reinfection rate could be used as an indicator of the intensity of local CE transmission in endemic areas. However, our knowledge on the extent of reinfection in the endemic regions is poor. The purpose of the present study was to determine E . granulosus reinfection rate after praziquantel administration in a population of owned dogs in Kerman, Iran. A cohort of 150 owned dogs was recruited, with stool samples collected before praziquantel administration as a single oral dose of 5 mg/kg. The re-samplings of the owned dogs were performed at 2, 5 and 12 months following initial praziquantel administration. Stool samples were examined microscopically using Willis flotation method. Genomic DNA was extracted, and E . granulosus sensu lato -specific primers were used to PCR-amplify a 133-bp fragment of a repeat unit of the parasite genome. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method to calculate cumulative survival rates, which is used here to capture reinfection dynamics, and monthly incidence of infection, capturing also the spatial distribution of disease risk. Results of survival analysis showed 8, 12 and 17% total reinfection rates in 2, 5 and 12 months following initial praziquantel administration, respectively, indicating that 92, 88 and 83% of the dogs had no detectable infection in that same time periods. The monthly incidence of reinfection in total owned dog population was estimated at 1.5% (95% CI 1.0–2.1). The results showed that the prevalence of echinococcosis in owned dogs, using copro-PCR assay was 42.6%. However, using conventional microscopy, 8% of fecal samples were positive for taeniid eggs. Our results suggest that regular treatment of the dog population with praziquantel every 60 days is ideal, however the frequency of dog dosing faces major logistics and cost challenges, threatening the sustainability of control programs. Understanding the nature and extent of dog reinfection in the endemic areas is essential for successful implementation of control programs and understanding patterns of CE transmission.

The increasing overlap of resources between human and long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) (LTM) populations have escalated human–primate conflict. In Malaysia, LTMs are labeled as a ‘pest’ species due to the macaques’ opportunistic nature. This study investigates the activity budget of LTMs in an urban tourism site and how human activities influence it. Observational data were collected from LTMs daily for a period of four months. The observed behaviors were compared across differing levels of human interaction, between different times of day, and between high, medium, and low human traffic zones. LTMs exhibited varying ecological behavior patterns when observed across zones of differing human traffic, e.g., higher inactivity when human presence is high. More concerning is the impact on these animals’ welfare and group dynamics as the increase in interactions with humans takes place; we noted increased inactivity and reduced intra-group interaction. This study highlights the connection that LTMs make between human activity and sources of anthropogenic food. Only through understanding LTM interaction can the cause for human–primate conflict be better understood, and thus, more sustainable mitigation strategies can be generated.

Vampire bat-transmitted rabies has recently become the leading cause of rabies mortality in both humans and livestock in Latin America. Evaluating risk of transmission from bats to other animal species has thus become a priority in the region. An integrated bat-rabies dynamic modeling framework quantifying spillover risk to cattle farms was developed. The model is spatially explicit and is calibrated to the state of São Paulo, using real roost and farm locations. Roost and farm characteristics, as well as environmental data through an ecological niche model, are used to modulate rabies transmission. Interventions aimed at reducing risk in roosts (such as bat culling or vaccination) and in farms (cattle vaccination) were considered as control strategies. Both interventions significantly reduce the number of outbreaks in farms and disease spread (based on distance from source), with control in roosts being a significantly better intervention. High-risk areas were also identified, which can support ongoing programs, leading to more effective control interventions.

Rabies is an important zoonotic disease responsible for 59,000 human deaths worldwide each year. More than a third of these deaths occur in Africa. The first step in controlling rabies is establishing the burden of disease through data analysis and investigating regional risk to help prioritise resources. Here, we evaluated the surveillance data collected over the last decade in Nigeria (2014-2023). A spatio-temporal model was developed using the NIMBLE (1.2.1) package in R to assess outbreak risk. Our analysis found a high risk of canine rabies outbreaks in Plateau state and its surrounding states, as well as increased trends of outbreaks from July to September. The high number of reported canine rabies outbreaks in the North Central region could be due to cross-border transmission or improved reporting in the area. However, this could be confounded by potential reporting bias, with 8 out of 37 states (21.6%) never reporting a single outbreak in the period studied. Improving surveillance efforts will highlight states and regions in need of prioritisation for vaccinations and post-exposure prophylaxis. Using a One Health approach will likely help improve reporting, such as through integrated bite-case management, creating a more sustainable solution for the epidemiology of rabies in Nigeria in the future.

Echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease relevant to public health in many countries, on all continents except Antarctica. The objective of the study is to describe the registered cases and mortality from echinococcosis in Brazil, from 1995 to 2016. The records of two national databases, the Hospital Information System (HIS) and the Mortality Information System (MIS), were accessed during the period of 1995–2016. Demographic, epidemiological, and health care data related to the occurrence of disease and deaths attributed to echinococcosis in Brazil are described. The results showed that 7955 records of hospitalizations were documented in the HIS, during the study period, with 185 deaths from echinococcosis, and 113 records of deaths were documented in the MIS Deaths in every state of Brazil in the period. When comparing between states, the HIS showed great variability in mortality rates, possibly indicating heterogeneity in diagnosis and in the quality of health care received by patients. Less severe cases that do not require specialized care are not recorded by the information systems, thus the true burden of the disease could be underrepresented in the country. A change in the coding of disease records in the HIS in the late 1990s, (the integration of echinococcosis cases with other pathologies), led to the loss of specificity of the records. The records showed a wide geographic distribution of deaths from echinococcosis, reinforcing the need to expand the notification of the disease in Brazil. Currently, notification of cases is compulsory in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.