title: The first instance of a cat excreting Echinococcus multilocularis eggs in Japan.
abstract: A cat excreting Echinococcus multilocularis eggs was recently identified in Hokkaido, representing the first such observation in Japan. The cat was raised free-range and frequently ate rodents. Fecal egg examination revealed eggs of taeniids (EPG: 440) and Spirometra spp. (EPG: >1000). PCR targeting part of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene of E. multilocularis was positive with DNA from 3 single isolated taeniid eggs, and sequence analysis of one amplicon confirmed E. multilocularis. The results indicated that the eggs of E. multilocularis distributed in Hokkaido can be excreted in cat feces, and suggested the necessity of further studies to clarify whether the eggs excreted in cat feces are infective and thus whether cats can serve as infectious source to humans in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan. nnonaka@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Nariaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Sumiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganzorig
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Egoshi
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiya
authors.forename: Yuzaburo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oku
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D048210:Echinococcus multilocularis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010063:Ovum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV