Assessment of environmental contamination with Echinococcus spp. through DNA detection in free-roaming canid feces and soil in human echinococcosis hotspots from the Three-River-Source Region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

This study suggests widespread environmental deposition of Echinococcus eggs on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, driven by canid defecation. If these eggs remain viable, their persistence in soil would indicate a potential zoonotic transmission risk, highlighting the need for integrated control strategies targeting both domestic and wild canids.