Switzerland named hotspot for fox tapeworm disease

Number of cases of fox tapeworm disease on the rise according to study Keystone-SDA

Diseases caused by the fox tapeworm are on the rise in Europe. Alveolar hydatid disease (AHD) caused by the parasite is rare, but the number of cases is increasing, according to a study. Switzerland is one of the countries most affected.

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For the overview study published in the scientific journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, an international research team determined the Europe-wide case numbers of this disease, a form of echinococcosis, for the first time. This was announced by the Medical University of Vienna, which was involved in the study, on Monday.

The researchers analysed scientific publications, local disease registers, officially reported case numbers and unpublished reports from 40 countries for the period from 1997 to 2023.

According to the study, the number of cases has risen significantly in recent years – in Switzerland from a handful of annual diagnoses in the 1990s to an average of 70 today. There is no obligation to report fox tapeworm infections in humans in Switzerland.

+ Switzerland to step up fight against animal diseases

Switzerland as a hotspot

According to the study, Lithuania had the highest number of cases per inhabitant, followed by Switzerland. A high fox population or increasing contact between wild animals, pets and humans were cited as possible causes for the risk of infection. On the other hand, the researchers point out in the study that growing awareness among doctors could also have something to do with the increase.

“Despite the relatively low incidence of alveolar hydatid disease, this disease is a growing problem in Europe,” the researchers wrote in the study.

Fox tapeworms are parasites that live in the intestines of their hosts, usually foxes. The eggs of fox tapeworms can enter the human body via the animals’ faeces, for example via contaminated berries. The infection is often asymptomatic for years and only manifests itself later, particularly through changes in the liver.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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