Stability of the Southern European Border of in the Alps: Evidence That is a Limiting Factor

The known range of the zoonotic fox tapeworm has expanded since the 1990s, and today this parasite is recorded in higher abundances throughout large parts of Europe. This phenomenon is mostly attributed to the increasing European fox populations and their invasion of urban habitats. However, these factors alone are insufficient to explain the heterogeneous distribution of the parasite in Europe. Here, we analysed the spatial interrelationship of with the known distribution of seven vole species in Ticino, southern Switzerland. Among 404 necropsied foxes (1990-2006) and 79 fox faecal samples (2010-2012), was consistently found in the north of the investigated area. No expansion of this endemic focus was recorded during the 22 years of the study period. This stable endemic focus is coincident with the known distribution of the vole species but not, or only partly, with the distribution of the other autochthonous vole species. Our results give evidence that this vole species plays a crucial role in the maintenance of the parasite's life cycle and that its absence could be a limiting factor for the spread of in this region.