Echinococcus granulosus infection hydatid

This is one of the most serious tapeworm infections caused by the hydatid cysts, formed by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus and E. multilocularis in man and domestic animals. The disease is prevalent wherever man is closely associated with cats, dogs and sheep. The adult worms live in the alimentary canal of the definite host (cats, dogs, wolves, foxes and jackals) and shed eggs from gravid pro-... 

The four medically important cestodes are Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), Taenia solium (pork tapeworm, which can cause cysticerci in the brain and the eyesj, Diphyllobothrium latum (fish tapeworm), and Echinococcus granulosus (dog tapeworm, which can cause hydatid cysts in the liver, lungs, and brain). The primary drugs for treatment of cestode infections are praziquantel (see above) and niclosamide. 

Clinical use Niclosamide is one of two drugs of choice (with praziquantel) for infections caused by beef, pork, and fish tapeworm infections. However, it is not effective in cysticer-cosis (for which albendazole or praziquantel is used) or hydatid disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus (for which albendazole is used). Scoleces and cestode segments are killed, but ova are not. Niclosamide is effective in the treatment of infections due to small and large intestinal flukes. 

Items 9-10 A sheepherder who lives most of the year in the mountains of eastern Nevada is hospitalized with fiver cysts (hydatid disease) attributed to infection with Echinococcus granulosus, the dog tapeworm. He refuses to undergo surgery for removal of the cysts. 

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