Parasitic infections in humans and animals

Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease caused by larval tapeworms of the genus *Echinococcus*, which can form slow-growing cysts in the organs of humans and animals after people come into contact with contaminated soil, water, or infected livestock. Because the parasite cycles between animal hosts — typically dogs and sheep or rodents — and humans, it belongs to a category of diseases called zoonoses, meaning its control requires coordinating across veterinary, agricultural, and public health systems simultaneously. Diagnosis remains difficult in early stages since symptoms may be absent for years, and treatment options, ranging from surgery to long-term antiparasitic drugs, carry significant limitations in efficacy and access, particularly in rural endemic regions across Central Asia, South America, and East Africa. Researchers are currently working to improve molecular tools for earlier detection, map the genetic diversity of *Echinococcus* strains to understand transmission routes, and evaluate how climate and land-use changes may be shifting the geographic range of these infections.

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Keywords

EchinococcosisNeurocysticercosisZoonosisDiagnosisTreatmentEpidemiology