What is the life cycle of Echinococcus tapeworms?
The intermediate host ingests the Echinococcus eggs which are passed in the feces of the definitive host. The eggs hatch and the immature forms penetrate the intestinal wall of the intermediate host and migrate to various organs, usually the lung and liver. Large cysts, 2-5 inches in diameter, develop and contain thousands of infective forms, called ‘hydatid sand.’ When the cysts are ingested by a definitive host, each of the infective forms contained in the cyst can develop into an adult tapeworm which are usually less than 7 mm long. The adult worms attach themselves to the small intestine and may live there up to two years. What are the signs of Echinococcus infections in animals? As with Taenia tapeworms, the definitive hosts rarely show signs of disease unless the tapeworms are present in high numbers. Usually, the intermediate hosts do not show signs of infection either. How is infection with Echinococcus diagnosed, treated and controlled in dogs and cats? Eggs of this tapeworm a
