About the Authors

Francesca Tamarozzi

f_tamarozzi@yahoo.com

Affiliations Department of Clinical Surgical Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, WHO Collaborating Centre for the Clinical Management of Cystic Echinococcosis, Pavia, Italy

Ilaria Covini

Affiliation Department of Clinical Surgical Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

Mara Mariconti

Affiliations Department of Clinical Surgical Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, WHO Collaborating Centre for the Clinical Management of Cystic Echinococcosis, Pavia, Italy

Roberta Narra

Affiliations Department of Clinical Surgical Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, WHO Collaborating Centre for the Clinical Management of Cystic Echinococcosis, Pavia, Italy

Carmine Tinelli

Affiliation Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry Unit, San Matteo Hospital Foundation, Pavia, Italy

Annalisa De Silvestri

Affiliation Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry Unit, San Matteo Hospital Foundation, Pavia, Italy

Federica Manzoni

Affiliation Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry Unit, San Matteo Hospital Foundation, Pavia, Italy

Adriano Casulli

Affiliation Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanitá, Roma, Italy

Akira Ito

Affiliation Department of Parasitology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan

Andreas Neumayr

Affiliation Medical Services and Diagnostic, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

Enrico Brunetti

Affiliations Department of Clinical Surgical Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, WHO Collaborating Centre for the Clinical Management of Cystic Echinococcosis, Pavia, Italy, Division of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, San Matteo Hospital Foundation, Pavia, Italy

Competing Interests

I have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Vircell (Salamanca, Spain) is Small-Medium Enterprise partner in the HERACLES consortium funding this work. However, the diagnostic tests were purchased through routine commercial channels and the company was not involved nor had any influence on the design and performance of the study, the analysis of data, the discussion of the results, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: FT EB CT. Performed the experiments: FT IC MM RN. Analyzed the data: FT CT ADS FM AC AI AN. Wrote the paper: FT EB. Critically revised the manuscript: AC AI AN.