its well known that canine only serve as a final host for Echinococcus spp. , but there is some studies show that cats (feline) may be serve as a final host for Echinococcus multicularis , so i want from my collegues parasitologists to ensure or denies that feline serve as a final host for Echinococcus multicularis .
Echinococcus multilocularis is a tapeworm of foxes, wild canines, dogs and less commonly cats. Rodents are the usual intermediate hosts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinococcus_multilocularis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › NCBI › Literature
In laboratory may be inoculate domestic cats with eggs of Echinococcus multilocularis as mammals model but in wild life this is not possible because there is no mixing between domestic cats and foxes, may be with wild cats.
Echinococcus multicularis is a Cestoda of foxes and wild canine as definitive host. the rodents are the intermediate host. usually this parasite exists in a very cold climate as Alaska ......
Echinococcus multilocularis has been found in the intestine of cats [in Europe I believe (France?)].
Yes cats can be infected by E. multilocularis worms with some reports from intestinal analyses and copro-(q)PCR also mainly from Germany, Switzerland and France. They have not been considered as good hosts and that was confirmed by experimental infection with very low production of eggs which were not infective to mice (Kapel et al. 2006). Nevertheless probably that a (very?) low proportion of cats may excret infective eggs but cats are considering having a minor contribution to environmental contamination by eggs comparing to dogs and especially foxes (see Hegglin & Deplazes 2013).
I would be very reluctant to consider cats as a potential risk of AE for humans, although that is technically not impossible. It is likely just a matter of probability. I doubt anyone knows exactly if any human was ever infected through a cat. The most common (and reasonable) route of transmission is through dogs (directly or indirectly). More studies on infections in cats might be needed before ruling out that hypothesis, but I would feel comfortable to define that route as very unlikely.
Gérald Umhang I also would like to ask a question. Could you please explain me how protoscoleces can be alive in gastric acid in foxes ? if the protoscoleces are resistant to gastric acid, why they don't infect humans. Because human can be infect with only eggs of Echinococcus.
Thank you
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