Fox tapeworm: Myths and facts checked
Hobby hunters kill countless foxes every year. Hunting associations unjustifiably stoke fears of the fox as a parasite carrier in order to justify fox hunting. Scientific studies have proven, however, that hunting these animals spreads the fox tapeworm further and increases the risk of infection, rather than containing the parasite — similar to terrestrial rabies, which has since been eradicated through animal-friendly vaccine baits.
Less foxes, fewer fox tapeworms, and therefore less risk of infection for humans.
At first glance a plausible conclusion, but upon closer analysis it turns out to be mere hunters’ yarn, as several international studies demonstrate.
In Europe, the main distribution area of the fox tapeworm — thanks to hobby hunters and the pointless persecution of the fox — is concentrated above all in Switzerland (primarily the Thurgau region and eastern Switzerland) and Lithuania.
For the review study published in the journal «The Lancet Infectious Diseases», an international research team determined for the first time the Europe-wide case numbers of this disease, as the Medical University of Vienna, which participated in the study, announced on 21 July 2025. The average annual incidence from 1997 to 2023 across Europe was 0.063 cases per 100’000 inhabitants. Based on the incidence rates and trends identified in this study, the Alpine region and the Baltic states were identified as hotspots. Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland alone accounted for 2’864 (68.08 percent) of all cases.
According to the study, case numbers have clearly risen in recent years — in Switzerland they reportedly increased from a handful of annual diagnoses in the 1990s. There is, however, no mandatory reporting requirement for fox tapeworm infections in humans in Switzerland. So where did the authors obtain their data?
Basel Zoo has a history of gorillas that have contracted and died from fox tapeworm. For this reason, since 2016 it has treated all food that could potentially be contaminated with fox tapeworm eggs using heat.
Hobby hunters negatively affect the health of the entire fox population because the disease cannot run its normal course, which could lead to the formation of resistant populations. Hobby hunters already contributed significantly to the rapid spread of rabies during rabies control efforts, as male foxes had to travel further to find a mate. This caused the disease to become an epidemic in the first place, and it was only eradicated in the early 1980s — not through the merciless hunting of foxes, but through a vaccination campaign using chicken heads.
The fox tapeworm is still used as an argument to justify hunting foxes. Yet the disease it causes — alveolar echinococcosis — is one of the rarest parasitic infections in Europe. Due to direct contact with foxes, the primary risk groups include hobby hunters and dogs used in hunting, as well as taxidermists. There are far more zoonoses associated with domestic animals and livestock.
Culling foxes can even have the effect that the vacated habitat is recolonised by foxes with a far greater proportion of fox tapeworm carriers.
People without a hunting licence have little to fear
The fear of contracting fox tapeworm is practically unfounded. According to Ulm University Hospital, alveolar echinococcosis is very rare, with 40 to 70 new cases per year nationwide. Furthermore, there is no evidence that the parasite is transmitted through the consumption of wild-growing berries or mushrooms, according to Peter Höffken of Peta. Hunting activities, during which nearly half a million foxes are killed and partly skinned in Germany each year, represent a significant risk factor for contracting the zoonosis.
The risk of infection for ordinary forest visitors is minimal. Contrary to widespread rumour, there is hardly a known case of a fox tapeworm patient who contracted the infection through wild forest berries. Berries growing high on bushes can be ruled out as a route of infection. It is difficult to imagine how fox droppings could reach berries hanging at height.
Even though there is no evidence that consuming fruit or vegetables grown on the ground can trigger a fox tapeworm infection, it is generally advisable to thoroughly wash fruit from forests and gardens before consumption and to avoid heavily contaminated plant parts.
Dossiers: The fox in Switzerland: Most hunted predator without a lobby | Fox hunting without facts: How JagdSchweiz invents problems
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