Echinococcosis

Overview :

E. granulosus is found in many areas of Africa, China, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Mediterranean and eastern Europe, as well as in parts of the western United States. The parasite lives in regions where dogs and livestock cohabitate. Direct exposure to infectious dogs, as well as parasitic eggs released into the environment during shedding, are both sources of human infection.

In humans, cysts containing the larvae develop after ingestion of eggs. Cysts form primarily in the lungs and liver. Cysts developing in the liver are responsible for about two-thirds of echinococcosis cases. Echinococcosis is a significant public health problem in many areas of the world, but control programs have decreased the rate of infection in some regions. In Kenya alone, the numbers of persons infected each year is as high as 220 per 100,000 population.