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Background Echinococcus multilocularis is a small tapeworm affecting wild and domestic carnivores and voles in a typical prey-predator life cycle. In Italy, there has been a focus of E. multilocularis since 1997 in the northern Italian Alps, later confirmed in red foxes collected from 2001 to 2005. In this study, we report the results of seven years of monitoring on E. multilocularis and other cestodes in foxes and describe the changes that occurred over time and among areas (eco-regions) showing different environmental and ecological features on a large scale. Methods Eggs of cestodes were isolated from feces of 2872 foxes with a sedimentation/filtration technique. The cestode species was determined through multiplex PCR, targeting and sequencing ND1 and 12S genes. Analyses were aimed to highlight variations among different eco-regions and trends in prevalence across the study years. Results Out of 2872 foxes, 217 (7.55%) samples resulted positive for cestode eggs at coproscopy, with differences of prevalence according to year, sampling area and age class. Eight species of cestodes were identified, with Taenia crassiceps (2.65%), Taenia polyacantha (1.98%) and E. multilocularis (1.04%) as the most represented. The other species, Mesocestoides litteratus, Taenia krabbei, T. serialis, T. taeniaeformis and Dipylidium caninum , accounted for < 1% altogether. Echinococcus multilocularis was identified in foxes from two out of six eco-regions, in 30 fecal samples, accounting for 1.04% within the cestode positives at coproscopy. All E. multilocularis isolates came from Bolzano province. Prevalence of cestodes, both collectively and for each of the three most represented species ( T. crassiceps, T. polyacantha and E. multilocularis ), varied based on the sampling year, and for E. multilocularis an apparent increasing trend across the last few years was evidenced. Conclusions Our study confirms the presence of a focus of E. multilocularis in red foxes of northeast Italy. Although this focus seems still spatially limited, given its persistence and apparent increasing prevalence through the years, we recommend research to be conducted in the future on the ecological factors that, on a smaller scale, allow this zoonotic species to persist. On the same scale, we recommend a health education campaign to inform on the measures to prevent this zoonosis, targeted at people living in the area, especially hunters, dog owners, forestry workers and other potentially exposed categories.

In Europe, Ixodes ricinus is the main vector for tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), the most common tick species in Italy, particularly represented in pre-alpine and hilly northern areas. From 2011 to 2017, ticks were collected by dragging in Belluno province (northeast Italy) and analyzed by molecular techniques for TBP detection. Several species of Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia spp. Anaplaspa phagocitophilum, Neoerlichia mikurensis and Babesia venatorum, were found to be circulating in the study area carried by I. ricinus (n = 2668, all stages). Overall, 39.1% of screened pools were positive for at least one TBP, with a prevalence of 12.25% and 29.2% in immature stages and adults, respectively. Pathogens were detected in 85% of the monitored municipalities, moreover the presence of TBPs varied from one to seven different pathogens in the same year. The annual TBPs prevalence fluctuations observed in each municipality highlights the necessity of performing continuous tick surveillance. In conclusion, the observation of TBPs in ticks remains an efficient strategy for monitoring the circulation of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in a specific area.

Background Echinococcus multilocularis is a small tapeworm affecting wild and domestic carnivores and voles in a typical prey-predator life cycle. In Italy, a focus of E. multilocularis has been in existence since 1997 in the northern Italian Alps, later confirmed in foxes collected from 2001 to 2005. In this study, we report the results of seven years of monitoring on E. multilocularis and other cestodes and describe the changes occurred over time and among areas showing different environmental and ecological features (eco-regions). Methods Eggs of cestodes were isolated from faeces of 2,872 foxes with a sedimentation/filtration technique. The cestode species was determined through multiplex PCR, targeting and sequencing ND1 and 12S genes. Results Overall, 217 (7.55%) samples resulted positive for cestode eggs at coproscopy, with differences of prevalence according to year and sampling area. Eight species of cestodes were identified, with Taenia crassiceps (2.6%), Taenia polyacantha (2%) and E. multilocularis (1%) as the species most represented. The other species, Mesocestoides litteratus, Taenia krabbei, T. serialis, T. taeniaeformis and Dipylidium caninum, accounted for less than 1% altogether. Echinococcus multilocularis was identified in foxes from two out of six eco-regions, in 30 faecal samples, accounting for 1.4% within the cestode positives at coproscopy. All E. multilocularis isolates came from Bolzano province. Prevalence of cestodes, both collectively and for each of the three most represented species (T. crassiceps, T. polyacantha and E. multilocularis) varied based on the sampling year, and for E. multilocularis an apparent increasing trend across the last few years was evidenced. Conclusions Our study confirms the presence of a low prevalence focus of E. multilocularis in red foxes of northeast Italy. Although this focus seems still spatially limited, given its persistence and apparent increasing prevalence through the years, we recommend that future work deepen the ecological factors allowing persistence of this zoonotic species at a smaller scale. On the same scale, we recommend an informative campaign on how to behave to avoid contamination, targeted at people living in the area, especially hunters, dog owners, forestry workers and other categories at risk.