title: Transmission ecosystems of Echinococcus multilocularis in China and Central Asia.
abstract: From continental to regional scales, the zoonosis alveolar echinococcosis (AE) (caused by Echinococcus multilocularis) forms discrete patches of endemicity within which transmission hotspots of much larger prevalence may occur. Since the late 80s, a number of hotspots have been identified in continental Asia, mostly in China, wherein the ecology of intermediate host communities has been described. This is the case in south Gansu, at the eastern border of the Tibetan plateau, in south Ningxia, in the western Tian Shan of Xinjiang, and in the Alay valley of south Kyrgyzstan. Here we present a comparative natural history and characteristics of transmission ecosystems or ecoscapes. On this basis, regional types of transmission and their ecological characteristics have been proposed in a general framework. Combining climatic, land cover and intermediate host species distribution data, we identified and mapped 4 spatially distinct types of transmission ecosystems typified by the presence of one of the following small mammal 'flagship' species: Ellobius tancrei, Ochotona curzoniae, Lasiopodomys brandtii or Eospalax fontanierii. Each transmission ecosystem had its own characteristics which can serve as a reference for further in-depth research in the transmission ecology of E. multilocularis. This approach may be used at fine spatial scales to characterize other poorly known transmission systems of the large Eurasian endemic zone, and help in consideration of surveillance systems and interventions.
authors.affiliation: Chrono-environment lab, UMR6249, University of Franche-Comté and CNRS, Besançon, France.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giraudoux
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raoul
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.forename: Iskender
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ziadinov
authors.forename: Yurong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tiaoying
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Quéré
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Craig
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D001209:Asia, Central / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004443:Echinococcosis; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary*; D048210:Echinococcus multilocularis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D058507:Host Specificity; D006801:Humans; D007793:Lagomorpha / Q000469:parasitology*; D058974:Phylogeography; D013045:Species Specificity; D019596:Wolves / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth