Wang Qian, Xiao Yong-fu, Vuitton Dominique A, Schantz Peter M, Raoul Francis, Budke Christine, Campos-Ponce Maiza, Craig Philip S, Giraudoux Patrick
Sichuan Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu 610041, China.
Chin Med J (Engl). 2007 Feb 5;120(3):237-42.
Overgrazing was assumed to increase the population density of small mammals that are the intermediate hosts of Echinococcus multilocularis, the pathogen of alveolar echinococcosis in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. This research tested the hypothesis that overgrazing might promote Echinococcus multilocularis transmission through increasing populations of small mammal, intermediate hosts in Tibetan pastoral communities.
Grazing practices, small mammal indices and dog Echinococcus multilocularis infection data were collected to analyze the relation between overgrazing and Echinococcus multilocularis transmission using nonparametric tests and multiple stepwise logistic regression.
In the investigated area, raising livestock was a key industry. The communal pastures existed and the available forage was deficient for grazing. Open (common) pastures were overgrazed and had higher burrow density of small mammals compared with neighboring fenced (private) pastures; this high overgrazing pressure on the open pastures measured by neighboring fenced area led to higher burrow density of small mammals in open pastures. The median burrow density of small mammals in open pastures was independently associated with nearby canine Echinococcus multilocularis infection (P = 0.003, OR = 1.048).
Overgrazing may promote the transmission of Echinococcus multilocularis through increasing the population density of small mammals.
过度放牧被认为会增加多房棘球绦虫中间宿主小型哺乳动物的种群密度，多房棘球绦虫是青藏高原肺泡型棘球蚴病的病原体。本研究检验了以下假设：过度放牧可能通过增加藏区牧区小型哺乳动物（中间宿主）的数量来促进多房棘球绦虫的传播。
收集放牧方式、小型哺乳动物指标和犬多房棘球绦虫感染数据，采用非参数检验和多元逐步逻辑回归分析过度放牧与多房棘球绦虫传播之间的关系。
在调查区域，畜牧业是关键产业。存在公共牧场，可用牧草不足以满足放牧需求。与相邻的围栏（私人）牧场相比，开放（公共）牧场存在过度放牧现象，小型哺乳动物的洞穴密度更高；以相邻围栏区域衡量，开放牧场上这种高过度放牧压力导致开放牧场小型哺乳动物的洞穴密度更高。开放牧场小型哺乳动物洞穴密度的中位数与附近犬类多房棘球绦虫感染独立相关（P = 0.003，OR = 1.048）。
过度放牧可能通过增加小型哺乳动物的种群密度来促进多房棘球绦虫的传播。
