Related Experiment Videos
[Echinococcus vogeli cysts in paca liver (Cuniculus paca) native from the Acre State, Brazil]
U G Meneghelli1, A L Martinelli, M A Velludo
1Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo.
Revista Da Sociedade Brasileira De Medicina Tropical
|July 1, 1990
Summary
Pacas harbor Echinococcus vogeli, a parasite causing polycystic hydatid disease in humans. Contact with infected dogs that consumed paca viscera is a likely transmission route.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Parasitology
- Zoonotic Diseases
- Tropical Medicine
Context:
- Polycystic hydatid disease is a rare parasitic infection.
- Human cases have been linked to Echinococcus vogeli.
- The biological cycle of E. vogeli has not been fully elucidated.
Purpose:
- To investigate the role of pacas (Cuniculus paca) in the transmission of Echinococcus vogeli.
- To identify the source of Echinococcus vogeli infection in human patients in the Amazon region.
Summary:
- Four patients with polycystic hydatid disease reported awareness of liver disease in pacas consumed as food.
- These pacas' viscera were fed to domestic dogs, and all seven human patients reported contact with such dogs.
- Examination of a paca liver revealed hydatid cysts identified as Echinococcus vogeli, confirming pacas as intermediate hosts.
Impact:
- Establishes pacas as a crucial intermediate host in the Echinococcus vogeli life cycle.
- Highlights the role of domestic dogs in transmitting Echinococcus vogeli to humans.
- Provides insights into preventing human infection through managing domestic dog exposure to infected paca viscera.