Epidemiologiczne badania nad Echinococcus multilocularis u lisów rudych w Polsce Północno-Zachodniej

The studies were carried out in 15 provinces of North-West part of Poland in the years 1994-1997 under a regime of strict laboratory safety regulation. The intestine of 1909 red foxes were examined for the presence of Echinococcus multilocularis according to the method of ECKERT et al (1991). The intestines were divided finto four to six sections and fifteen smears were prepared from each animal under study. Foxes infected with E. multilocularis were detected in 8 provinces. The average prevalence rate in these provinces was 1.20 per cent. Of special interest fis the finding in Słupsk and Gdańsk regions, where 9.6 per cent of foxes were infected-with E. multilocularis. In comparison with some other European endemic regions the prevalence rates of E. multilocularis in Poland was low, except for the Słupsk-Gdańsk area.