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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Transient Transduction of the Strobilated Forms of Echinococcus granulosus
Published on: September 16, 2022
Boiling sheep liver or lung for 30 minutes is necessary and sufficient to kill Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces
Jun Li1, Chuanchuan Wu2, Hui Wang3
1State Key Laboratory Incubation Base for Xinjiang Major Diseases Research and Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Echinococcosis, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China - Department Immunology, School of Preclinical Medicine, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
Abstract:
Proper disposal of carcasses and offal after home slaughter is difficult in poor and remote communities and therefore dogs readily have access to hydatid cysts containing offal from livestock, thus completing the parasite cycle of Echinococcus granulosus and putting communities at risk of cystic echinococcosis. Boiling livers and lungs which contain hydatid cysts could be a simple, efficient and energy- and time-saving way to kill the infectious protoscoleces. The aim of this study was to provide precise practical recommendations to livestock owners. Our results show that boiling the whole sheep liver and/or lung, with single or multiple hydatid cysts, for 30 min is necessary and sufficient to kill E. granulosus protoscoleces in hydatid cysts. Advertising on this simple rule in at-risk communities would be an efficient and cheap complement to other veterinary public health operations to control cystic echinococcosis.
