Dr. Murai Éva - Gubányi András szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 28. (Budapest, 1995)

The life cycle and epidemiology of the Echinococcus species occuring in Europe were investigated over a 10-year peroid in Covasna County, which is situated in a subalpine area of the Eastern Carpathians. In the area studied, the dog - domesticated ungulate life cycle of E. granulosus manifests itself as a severe epidemic. Domesticated ungulates and/or shepherds are continuously exposed to contamination originating from dogs, and may ingest eggs present in the faeces left behind by them. Wrong local practices of handling viscera containing hydatid cysts and temporarily stored in the yard of slaughterhouses while awaiting destruction allow dogs to have access to infested organs. Another problem is that at home slaughters and huntings no case is taken to prevent dogs from having access to organs containing fertile hydatid cysts. Major endemic foci were found by the postmortem examination of dogs. In zone I (Sfintu Gheorge) 13.9% of 107 dogs were infested. The prevalence of infection was 31.1% in stray dogs, 28.8%) in dogs living animal farms, 17.0% in dogs living around slaughterhouses. The highest number of worms found was 11,200 in a dog. In zone II (Tg. Secuiesc), 22.2%> of 153 dogs were infested. The prevalence of infestation was 58.0% in dogs living around slaughterhouses, 28.9% in those kept around animal farms, 28.0%) in stray dogs and 27.0%> of sheep dogs. The maximum number of worms recorded was 19,000 E. granulosus specimens found in a dog living around a slaughterhouse. In zone III (Covasna) 8.4% of 77 dogs were infested. The prevalence of infection was 19.3%) in sheep dogs and 18.2% in stray dogs. In a hunting dog 9,200 mature stages were found. In zone IV (Baraolt) 12.0% of 62 dogs were infested: 39%o of sheep dogs, 11.0% of stray dogs, 11.8% of watch-dogs were infested by E. granulosus worms. The highest count was 11,200. In zone V (Buzaul-Ardelean) 33 dogs were examined: the prevalence of infection was 4.6%» with a maximum worm count of 10,200. The patterns of infection found in dogs are reflected on the maps showing the infestation of cattle, sheep and swine (those areas are indicated where the prevalence exceeded the annual average, i.e. 26.6-68 % in cattle, 27.0-89.6 % in sheep, 10.6-48.1 % in swine, Figs IB -E). Although wolves are likely to play a role in spreading E. granulosus, unfortunately it was not possible to examine wolves during this survey. Nevertheless, the presence of a wolf-wild ungulate and a dog-wild ungulate strain of E. granulosus should be assumed in Covasna County, with special regard to the EH infestation observed in wild ungulates. This study was the first to demonstrate the presence of the larval form of E. multilocularis inside the range of the Carpathians (Fig. IF). Morphological and pathological data of the alveolar echinococcosis found in the region of Comandau are consistent with the literature data (cf. Ohbayashi et a. 1971, Genov et al. 1981, Stoye 1990, Brglez and Wikerhauser 1992). Human cases of metastatic echinococcosis, reported by Coroiu et al (1992), suggest the incidence of Echinococcus multilocularis among mountain shepherds. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Grateful thanks are due to Dr. Árpád Bálint and Dr. Attila Kondor veterinarians, Klára Kovács laboratory assistant, Árpád Fejér, Dóra Gábor, Margit Kisantal, Etelka Kiss, Ildikó Kovács and Jolán Kovács slaughterhouse assistants for their participation in the 10-year research conducted in Covasna County.