title: Molecular identification of Echinococcus multilocularis infection in small mammals from Northeast, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alveolar echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the metacestode of Echinococcus multilocularis. Many species of small mammals, including arvicolid rodents or Ochotona spp., are natural intermediate hosts of the cestode. The main aim of this study was to identify natural intermediate hosts of E. multilocularis in Chenaran County, Razavi Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran, where the prevalence of infected wild and domestic carnivores is high.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A program of trapping was carried out in five villages in which this cestode was reported in carnivores. The livers of 85 small mammals were investigated for the presence of E. multilocularis infection using multiplex PCR of mitochondrial genes. Infections were identified in 30 specimens: 23 Microtus transcaspicus, three Ochotona rufescens, two Mus musculus, one Crocidura gmelini, and one Apodemus witherbyi.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A range of small mammals therefore act as natural intermediate hosts for the transmission of E. multilocularis in Chenaran County, and the prevalence suggested that E. multilocularis infection is endemic in this region. The existence of the life cycle of this potentially lethal cestode in the vicinity of human habitats provides a significant risk of human infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Molouk
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beiromvand
authors.forename: Lame
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Akhlaghi
authors.forename: Seyed Hossein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Fattahi Massom
authors.forename: Ahmad Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Meamar
authors.forename: Jamshid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Darvish
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Razmjou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004443:Echinococcosis; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D048210:Echinococcus multilocularis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology*; D008322:Mammals / Q000469:parasitology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial