Hydatids - the basics

Summary

In Australia, hydatid disease is caused by the hydatid tapeworm, which infects dogs, dingoes and foxes. Humans can also be intermediate hosts, with serious health consequences.

Losses from hydatid disease in livestock arise from the downgrading of edible meat by-products because of hydatid cysts.

Control is by preventing or eliminating hydatid tapeworm infections in the final hosts – dogs, foxes and dingoes. Controlling hydatids will also help to control sheep measles, caused by a tapeworm with a similar lifecycle.

This primefact includes topics:

  • Hydatid lifecycle
  • Controlling hydatids



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Primefact 812 Second Edition

Published: Sep 2017