title: Echinococcus granulosus infection dynamics in livestock of Greece.
abstract: An epidemiological and molecular survey on the occurrence of Echinococcus hydatid cysts in livestock was conducted in Greece. In total 898 sheep, 483 goats, 38 buffaloes, 273 wild boars and 15 deer were examined and 30.2% (6.45% cyst fertility), 7.86% (3.2% cyst fertility), 42% (7.9% cyst fertility), 1.1% (0% cyst fertility), 0% of them were found infected, respectively. Infection rate in different geographical regions varied between 26.1 and 53.8% (cyst fertility 2.04 and 34.6%) in sheep, 7.33 and 13.3% (cyst fertility 0 and 3.2%) in goats. Genotyping, based on cox1 and nad1 analyses, demonstrated the predominance of E. granulosus s.s. (G1 genotype). The presence of one single genotype-complex within a relatively large spectrum of intermediate host species in Greece indicates the presence of a dominant transmission dog-sheep cycle involving additional host species which may act as disease reservoir for human infections.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation-Demeter, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chaligiannis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty and Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maillard
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty and Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boubaker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty and Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spiliotis
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation-Demeter, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saratsis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty and Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gottstein
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation-Demeter, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: smaro_sotiraki@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sotiraki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D058751:Livestock / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Cystic echinococcosis; Echinococcus granulosus; Livestock