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Project Topic
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Small ruminant production systems are a major component of the dairy and meat sector in the Mediterranean region, being frequently the only possible enterprises in less favoured areas, unsuitable for growing crops, playing a substantial role in the agro-livelihood of farmers in developing countries. Thus, it is fundamental to ensure sustainability and prevent diseases in grazing sheep systems. Parasites are ubiquitous in such systems and have been identified as the main constraint affecting small ruminants’ production, health and welfare. Among parasitic infections, cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most important production-limiting diseases of grazing sheep in the Mediterranean area, associated to serious animal health, welfare and economic repercussions due to reduced yield and quality of meat, milk and wool, reduced birth rate and delayed performance and growth. CE is caused by the larval stages of the small tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus, a zoonotic Taeniidae of veterinary and public health importance. The life cycle of E. granulosus includes dogs and other canids as the definitive hosts of the adult parasite and livestock (mainly sheep) and humans as intermediate hosts. CE has a worldwide distribution, but it exhibits the highest prevalence in communities where pastoral activities predominate, as the Mediterranean area. Climatic changes (e.g. precipitation, climate warming) may influence the epidemiology of CE, due to their direct effect on the survival of infective eggs, released in the environment by the dog and an indirect impact on sheep, through an increased exposure to the parasite. For these reasons, the ECHINO-SAFE-MED project is aimed to implement the farming systems by delivering innovative and sustainable strategies to control CE in sheep in four countries of the Mediterranean area (Algeria, Greece, Italy and Tunisia). The aims and objectives will be achieved thanks to 5 inter-linked Work Packages (WP). The WP1 aims to develop and harmonize innovative tools for the early diagnosis of CE in sheep (ultrasound technique, sandwich-ELISA and skin test) to be transferred and applied, afterwards, in the surveillance and control activities in the farming systems and hub laboratories of endemic Mediterranean areas. In WP2, CE surveillance activities will be improved in pilot areas in order to obtain a baseline level of (cystic) echinococcosis infection in definitive (dogs) and intermediate (sheep) hosts. The results obtained will be used to select sheep farms in which sustainable control strategies will be performed (WP3). Specifically, three different control strategies, based on a different combination of vaccination of lambs and treatment of dogs, will be tested to reduce the level of parasite transmission. Furthermore, an innovative strategy based on praziquantel-laced baits delivered by drones will be used to treat stray dogs or other canids present in grazing areas identified through the points tracked by animal movements using GPS dataloggers (WP2). Capacity building and training activities will be conducted to secure adequate expertise within surveillance and control measures for CE, and the methods and tools applied throughout the project; furthermore, the outcomes of WP1-3 will be disseminated to endusers, stakeholders and authorities to strengthen CE control capacity (WP4); finally, WP5 will be devoted to project management. The objectives will be achieved through the construction of an international network (eight partners) for sharing practices, methods and data to promote in concerted and organized way, efficient approaches to help animals and farming systems to adapt to climate change. Re-designing diagnostic tools and control strategies will increase the resilience of Mediterranean farming systems to increased disease risks arising from global change and will produce yield stability and quality in comparison to standard control approaches under challenging environmental conditions.
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