Synergistic effects of multifactor interactions on the transmission of Echinococcus spp. on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The severe endemicity of Echinococcus spp. on the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau (QTP) necessitates the identification of key risk factors influencing its transmission and distribution in northeastern QTP sylvatic cycles, alongside multifactorial interactions within the "environment-host-parasite" system. Field monitoring, multi source remote sensing data, and geographic detector techniques were integrated to elucidate the coupling relationships between the distribution and dissemination of Echinococcus spp. and geographical environmental factors. Land surface temperature (LST) was identified as a critical risk factor, exhibiting a significant negative correlation with Echinococcus spp. distribution (P < 0.01), while the interactive effects between factors surpassed individual impacts. The highest potential infection risk was localized in areas overlapping the northeastern plateau and the Three-River-Source core region, characterized by pronounced temperature fluctuations, low humidity, and intense radiation. On the basis of these findings, an ecoepidemiological hypothesis is proposed: the unique QTP habitat facilitates the evolution of a multi host parasitic system in Echinococcus spp.; subsequent host-mediated environmental modifications optimize dispersal conditions, jointly amplifying Echinococcus spp. transmission; and the synergistic coupling of "environmental-host-pathogen" dynamics underpins Echinococcus spp. endemicity on the QTP. This study provides a technical foundation for early risk warning and targeted control strategies for natural Echinococcus spp. foci.