English

M Ibrahem Mohamed,B Annajar Badereddin,M Ibrahem Wafa,M Ibrahem Kawther

doi:10.5897/jvmah2016.0525

Abstract

Echinococcus granulosus is a tiny tapeworm that parasitizes the small intestine of canids, mainly dogs, which act as definitive hosts for the parasite. Infected dogs are the main source of infection to humans and livestock which act as intermediate hosts resulting in hydatid disease condition. E. granulosus is widely distributed in many parts of the world, and is very common in North African countries. In Libya, the rate of infection with echinococcosis in dogs was reported to be lower than 7 to 80% in stray dogs, 34.8 to 60% in sheep/guard dogs and 7.7 to 21.6% in farm/house dogs. This data fulfills the world health organization (WHO) criteria and suggests that the incidence of infection with echinococcosis/ hydatidosis in some parts of the country can be reaching the level of hyper endemic. Diagnosis of echinococcosis in infected dogs can be performed by isolating the parasite from their faeces or from the contents of their small intestine after necropsy. Recent developments in immunodiagnostic assays for echinococcosis in dogs have been described. Public health and risk factors as well as ways of hydatid disease treatment and various control strategies, including the use of veterinary vaccines, have also been discussed. Key words: Dogs, Echinococcus granulosus, prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, risk factors

Highlights

Echinococcus granulosus is a tapeworm that causes a condition known as echinococcosis in dogs, and hydatid disease or hydatidosis in humans and other ruminant animals (Chhabra and Singla, 2009)
This paper focuses mainly on the prevalence of E. granulosus infections in dogs in Libya since its discovery in 1961 to date and summarises the prospects of diagnosis, risk factors, treatment and the control and prevention strategies of the disease
Stray dogs are the largest group in all urban and rural areas and they normally wonder freely during the night to scavenge on household waste materials, from which they may become infected with E. granulosus through eating dead animals and discarded offal contaminated with fertile hydatid cysts

Summary

Introduction

Echinococcus granulosus is a tapeworm that causes a condition known as echinococcosis in dogs, and hydatid disease or hydatidosis in humans and other ruminant animals (Chhabra and Singla, 2009). The intermediate hosts become infected with hydatid disease when they ingest the parasite eggs in their contaminated food or water. The life cycle of the parasite is complete when dogs ingest hydatid cysts containing fully developed protoscoleces, which are subsequently released and attach themselves to the intestinal lining of the host.

Results

Conclusion