Hydatid disease in man is caused mainly by infection by the larval stage of the dog tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. It follows accidental ingestion of tapeworm eggs excreted in the faeces of infected dogs. Worldwide, four species of tapeworm are clinically important to man: E. granulosus, Echinococcus multilocularis, Echinococcus vogeli and Echinococcus oligarthrus, but only E. granulosus has been found in the UK. However, the increase in pet travel and the spread of E. multilocularis in Europe may increase the risk of this parasite infecting humans in the UK1 .
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/doctor/hydatid-disease-pro