RSS-Feed abonnieren
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1556959
Echinococcosis: A brief review
Verantwortlicher Herausgeber dieser Rubrik:
Publikationsverlauf
14. Juni 2007
15. August 2007
Publikationsdatum:
28. Juli 2015 (online)
Abstract
Echinococcosis (hydatid disease) is the infection of humans by the larval stages of taeniid cestodes of the genus Echinococcus. Three species of public health importance, Echinococcus granulosus, E. multilocularis, and E. vogeli respectively, cause cystic, alveolar and polycystic echinococcosis respectively, and are the subject of this review. Several studies have shown that these diseases are an increasing public health concern and that both can be regarded as emerging or re-emerging diseases. In this review, we discuss aspects of their biology, life cycle, etiology, distribution, and transmission of the Echinococcus organisms, and the epidemiology, clinical features, treatment, and effect of improved diagnosis of the diseases they cause. New sensitive and specific diagnostic methods and effective therapeutic approaches against echinococcosis have been developed in the last 10 years. Despite some progress in the control of echinococcosis, this zoonosis continues to be a major public health problem in several countries and in several others; it constitutes an emerging and re-emerging disease.