Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
13:25
Transient Transduction of the Strobilated Forms of Echinococcus granulosus
Published on: September 16, 2022
Echinococcosis: historical landmarks and progress in research and control
1Immunization Safety Office, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E61, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology
|January 18, 2007
Summary
Hydatid cysts, caused by Echinococcus parasites, are ancient diseases affecting humans and livestock. Modern science has improved understanding, diagnosis, and treatment, yet transmission persists globally.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Parasitology
- Zoonotic Diseases
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Hydatidosis, caused by Echinococcus cestodes, has ancient roots, with understanding evolving since the 17th century.
- Recent decades show a revolution in knowledge and technology regarding cestode biology and associated diseases.
Observation:
- The genus Echinococcus comprises closely related cestode parasites adapted to diverse predator-prey host assemblages.
- Synanthropic transmission cycles involving dogs and livestock significantly increase zoonotic transmission risks.
- High human Echinococcus infection prevalences are observed in livestock-rearing populations with domestic dogs accessing intermediate livestock hosts.
Findings:
- Modern scientific technology has elucidated the diversity of Echinococcus host-parasite relationships.
- Advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies for echinococcoses in humans and animals have been developed.
- Despite control programs reducing transmission in some areas, global spread and disease incidence remain significant.
Implications:
- Understanding Echinococcus diversity and transmission is crucial for targeted disease control.
- Technological advancements offer improved management strategies for hydatidosis in both human and animal populations.
- Continued global surveillance and intervention are necessary to combat persistent Echinococcus transmission and its zoonotic impact.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
01:15Anthelminthic Agents
Anthelmintic drugs differ significantly from antiparasitic therapies targeting protozoa, primarily due to differences in parasite biology. Whereas most protozoal treatments act on proliferating cells, anthelmintics are typically directed against mature, nonproliferative helminths. The therapeutic approach considers the helminth's reliance on neuromuscular coordination, glucose metabolism, and microtubular integrity for survival, reproduction, and localization within the host. Most anthelmintics...
01:28Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
01:22American Trypanosomiasis
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...