Observations on the Infectivity of Echinococcus Eggs Obtained from Foxes (Alopex lagopus Linn.) on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Abstract

Echinococcus eggs, in tap water, stored for 2.5 years at 2[degree]C were infective to voles. Very old dehydrated fox scats, abundantly dispersed over the tundra, randomly collected and stored at room temperature for over 2 years, also contained eggs infective to voles. The epidemiology of alveolar Echinococcus appears to be favored by the resistance of the eggs to sub-freezing temperatures, thus contributing to its spread across the Arctic.