title: Infection of dogs with Echinococcus granulosus: causes and consequences in an hyperendemic area.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tunisia is a hyper endemic country for human echinococcosis. The infection is transmitted via the eggs of Echinococcus granulosus which are passed in the faeces of the definitive canid host.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study evaluated the contamination rate of the dog faeces in different climatic conditions at eight different geographic regions throughout Tunisia. Dog faecal samples were collected from the soil and the Echinococcus eggs were identified using microscopic and molecular (Eg1121/1122 PCR, Egss1 PCR and Nad1 PCR-RFLP) tools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The contamination index of dog faeces by E. granulosus eggs ranged from 8.3% to 41.3% depending on the region. Comparisons of the dog faecal contamination rate against human incidence found them to be independent. Neither human prevalence nor dog contamination index appeared to be related to climatic conditions or geographic characteristics. The genetic variability of E. granulosus samples was different within each region but was not related to geographic distance which is indicative of local divergent evolutions rather than isolation by distance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high environmental dog contamination index does not necessarily correspond to high prevalence in humans as transmission is strongly linked to human behavior and hygiene.
authors.affiliation: LP3M: Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire, LR12ES08, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, 1 rue Avicenne, Département de biologie clinique B, 5000, Monastir, Tunisie. raja.chaabane@laposte.net.
authors.forename: Raja
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chaâbane-Banaoues
authors.affiliation: LP3M: Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire, LR12ES08, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, 1 rue Avicenne, Département de biologie clinique B, 5000, Monastir, Tunisie. myriam.mrad@gnet.tn.
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oudni-M'rad
authors.affiliation: INRA and Université F. Rabelais, UMR 1282, Infectiologie et santé publique, 37380, Nouzilly, France. Jacques.Cabaret@tours.inra.fr.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cabaret
authors.affiliation: LP3M: Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire, LR12ES08, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, 1 rue Avicenne, Département de biologie clinique B, 5000, Monastir, Tunisie. selim.mrad@gnet.tn.
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: M'rad
authors.affiliation: LP3M: Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire, LR12ES08, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, 1 rue Avicenne, Département de biologie clinique B, 5000, Monastir, Tunisie. habib.mezhoud@laposte.net.
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mezhoud
authors.affiliation: LP3M: Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire, LR12ES08, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, 1 rue Avicenne, Département de biologie clinique B, 5000, Monastir, Tunisie. hamouda.babba@rns.tn.|Laboratoire de parasitologie, E.P.S F. Bourguiba, 5000, Monastir, Tunisie. hamouda.babba@rns.tn.
authors.forename: Hamouda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Babba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002980:Climate; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008853:Microscopy; D058974:Phylogeography; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015995:Prevalence; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology