Molecular Evidence for Local Acquisition of Human Alveolar Echinococcosis in Saskatchewan, Canada

Janna M Schurer; Polly Tsybina; Karen M Gesy; Temitope U Kolapo; Stuart Skinner; Janet E Hill; Emily J Jenkins

doi:10.1093/infdis/jiaa473

Molecular Evidence for Local Acquisition of Human Alveolar Echinococcosis in Saskatchewan, Canada

J Infect Dis. 2021 Mar 29;223(6):1015-1018. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa473.

Authors

Janna M Schurer^{1

2}, Polly Tsybina³, Karen M Gesy⁴, Temitope U Kolapo⁵, Stuart Skinner⁶, Janet E Hill⁵, Emily J Jenkins⁵

Affiliations

¹ Center for One Health, University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda.
² Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA.
³ Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
⁴ Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
⁵ Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
⁶ Department of Infectious Disease, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

PMID: 32766836
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa473

Abstract

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a life-threatening parasitic disease caused by the zoonotic cestode Echinococcus multilocularis. Our goals were to confirm infection, identify species, and analyze biogeographical origin of metacestode tissues from a suspected human AE case in Saskatchewan, Canada. We conducted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the nad1 mitochondrial gene for E. multilocularis and the rrnS ribosomal RNA gene for E. granulosus and conducted haplotype analysis at the nad2 locus. Our analysis confirmed AE and indicated that sequences matched infected Saskatchewan coyotes and European E3/E4 haplotypes. The patient had no travel history outside North America. This suggests autochthonous transmission of a European-type strain.

Keywords: Echinococcus multilocularis; North America; One Health; zoonosis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Coyotes / parasitology
Echinococcosis* / epidemiology
Echinococcus multilocularis* / genetics
Haplotypes
Humans
Saskatchewan / epidemiology

Supplementary concepts

Alveolar echinococcosis