title: Echinococcus shiquicus, a new species from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau region of China: discovery and epidemiological implications.
abstract: In Shiqu County of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, many wild and domestic mammals are involved in the transmission cycles of Echinococcus spp. Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus genotype G1 (sheep strain) are sympatrically distributed in the plateau. In 1995, we identified a unique strobilate stage of Echinococcus from the Tibetan fox, Vulpes ferrilata, but considered it to be a variant of E. multilocularis. Subsequent molecular genetic studies revealed that a hydatid cyst from the plateau pika, Ochotona curzoniae, had unique mitochondrial DNA sequences which are dissimilar to any published sequences of Echinococcus. The same sequences were subsequently found in adult worms from Tibetan foxes. Morphological, genetic and ecological features of the cestode led us to designate a new species Echinococcus shiquicus. E. shiquicus has been found at other areas surveyed on the plateau; however, no infections in humans caused by E. shiquicus have been yet identified.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China. xiaoning@asahikawa-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Jiamin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Tiaoying
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xingwang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schantz
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D007793:Lagomorpha / Q000469:parasitology*; D018609:Tibet / Q000453:epidemiology