Abstract
Echinococcosis or hydatid disease is caused by larvae of Echinococcus. In the life cycle of E. granulosus, humans sometimes become accidental intermediate hosts. Humans can orally take up the E. granulosus eggs from infected carnivore excretions by handling the animals or egg-containing feces, plants, eating vegetables, uncooked fruits, and drinking water with the eggs. The hydatid disease is endemic in some Mediterranean countries, the Middle East, the South America, the South Africa and Oceania. Hydatid disease is seen in subjects of any age and sex. The combination of imaging and serology usually enables diagnosis. Clinical management of hepatic cysts includes albendazole or mebendazole therapy in combination with either surgical resection or the PAIR procedure.
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Article Type: Review Article
EUR J GEN MED, Volume 9, Issue Supplement 1, 2012, 15-20
https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/82498
Publication date: 10 Jan 2012
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