Factors associated with Echinococcus multilocularis infection in coyotes in southern Ontario

Echinococcus multilocularis was recently reported in wild canids across southern Ontario, a newly recognized endemic area in Canada. In such areas, a comprehensive understanding of factors associated with infection in definitive hosts (wild canids) is critical for mitigating risk of transmission to humans. However, little is known about the transmission dynamics of the parasite in definitive hosts for this region. A study was therefore carried out to investigate the association of host-level (sex, body condition), environmental (southern Ontario region, land cover), temporal (season, hunting season, calendar year) and extraneous factors (submitter type) with E. multilocularis infection in coyotes in southern Ontario. Between November 2015 and March 2017, 416 coyotes were collected from across the region as part of a study that investigated the prevalence and distribution of the parasite in wild canids; approximately 24% of coyotes were positive for E. multilocularis. Associations between infection and factors of interest were assessed via a mixed-effects logistic regression model with a random intercept for submitter to account for clustering. Coyotes with poor body condition were at greater odds of E. multilocularis infection than those in good condition (odds ratio [OR] 2.14; 95% CI: 1.08-4.26; p = .030). A negative association was observed between infection in coyotes and the proportion of natural land in a coyote's estimated home range (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.52-0.85; p = .001). Coyotes from the western region of southern Ontario had lower odds of infection compared to coyotes from the central region (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.12-0.55; p < .001). These results can be used to help guide future public health prevention strategies for human alveolar echinococcosis.