Hydatid disease: the threat within Papua New Guinea

Hydatid disease is a problem in those countries where man, grazing animals and dogs live in close association. The adult tapeworm of Echinococcus granulosus causes few, if any, symptoms in the dog and so its presence may be unsuspected. Transmission to man is by ingestion of eggs, which resist desiccation and may be viable for up to one year. Food or water may be directly contaminated or infection acquired by close contact with dogs carrying eggs in their saliva or hair. Though quarantine regulations exist, the introduction of the disease as the tapeworm in dogs or as the hydatid cyst in imported sheep from New Zealand has occurred and its spread is a possibility. The life cycle, clinical manifestations and significance if introduced to rural communities are discussed.