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Sixty wild and domestic animal species have been studied in Kazakhstan for the presence of Echinococcus multilocularis. This includes over 35,000 rodents belonging to 39 different species, which were necropsied between 1975 and 2000. Animals from various different landscape and ecological zones were studied. The larval stage of the parasite was found in IS species of rodent, Four species of definitive host have been found in Kazakhstan: Vulpes Vulpes, V. corsac, Felis lybica and Canis familiaris The parasite is often found in rodents and predators near river and lake shores (such as the Irtysh and Ili Rivers and Alakol and Balhash Lakes). In the steppe it is found in areas of grassland, In flat deserts the parasite was not found, but was found occasionally in mosaic biotype deserts, In such deserts the parasite is found in the mesophil biotype where there are localised areas of moisture. In the mountains the parasite is found near rivers, streams and grassland. Human cases are relatively rare with perhaps only 20 cases seen each year and these are more commonly seen in the eastern part of the country, The parasite poses a potential threat to hunters and their fan-Lilies, particularly since it is in hunters' dogs that high levels of the parasite has been found.