Alternative Names & Classifications:
Echinococcosis (CLINICAL), Hydatid Disease (CLINICAL)
Description
Humans accidentally acquire Echinococcosis by ingesting parasite eggs present in the feces of definitive carnivore hosts, such as dogs or foxes. The hatched larvae penetrate the gut wall and migrate predominantly to the liver and lungs, where they form slowly growing, fluid-filled hydatid cysts. Over many years, these cysts act as space-occupying lesions that cause severe organ dysfunction, and their rupture can trigger fatal anaphylactic shock.