Investigation on animal hosts of Echinococcus multilocularis in north Xinjiang,China

This paper reports the results of investigation on animal hosts of Echinococcus multilocularis in agricultural and pastoral villages,mountain and steppe areas of north Xinjiang with the patients infected by alveolar echinococcosis.All of 305 dogs examined by arecoline purgation and 13974 adult worms of Echinococcus have been obtained in 52 dogs.All were identified as Echinococcus grannlosus.It indicates that the dogs are not the definitive host of Echinococcus multilocularis in these areas. All of 5620 animals were collected including 5163 of 31 species in Rodentia,261 of 4 species in Insectivora and 196 of 2 species in Lagomorpha.The metacestodes of Echinococcus multilocularis were detected in Microtus ilaeus and Arvicola terrestres evidenced it were the intermediate hosts of Echinococcus multilocularis in the areas of west Tianshan and Tarbahatai mountains respectively.