Echinococcus multilocularis in urban coyotes, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Echinococcus multilocularis is a zoonotic parasite in wild canids. We determined its frequency in urban coyotes (Canis latrans) in Alberta, Canada. We detected E. multilocularis in 23 of 91 coyotes in this region. This parasite is a public health concern throughout the Northern Hemisphere, partly because of increased urbanization of wild canids.

Figure 1

Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, census metropolitan areas in which 91 coyote carcasses were collected during 2009–2011 and tested for Echinococcus multilocularis. Reference maps (2006) were obtained from the Geography Division, Statistics Canada (www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/geo/index-eng.cfm). Urban core areas and surrounding rural fringes are indicated. For Edmonton, 5 (62.5%) of 8 carcasses were positive. For Calgary, 18 (20.5%) of 83 carcasses were positive: 9 (27.3%) of 33 from the rural fringe, 4 (14.8%) of 27 from the urban area, and 5 (21.7%) of 23 whose locations of collection were not accurate enough to be classified as urban or from the rural fringe.

Figure 2

Differential interference contrast micrograph of a representative Echinococcus multilocularis isolate from a coyote carcass in Alberta, Canada, October 2009–July 2011. The parasite was 2,059.72 μm long, as measured by using an Olympus BX53 microscope and software (http://microscope.olympus-global.com/en/ga/product/bx53/sf04.cfm). Scale bar = 200 μm.