Echinococcosis

Classification according to ICD-10
B67	Echinococcosis
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

In human and veterinary medicine, echinococcosis is a zoonosis that is caused by infection with a tapeworm of the genus Echinococcus .

In the main host , various predators, the pathogens live as intestinal parasites , whereby they harm the animal itself only slightly, so that a high worm load can occur. In the intermediate host there is the formation of hydatids through the fin stage , which weaken the animal severely, so that it is soon captured or succumbs to infection and can thus be consumed by carnivores , omnivores and scavengers , which ingest the protoscolices . Echinococci are distributed worldwide in various types.

Echinococcosis describes the following diseases:

Human medicine (humans are a mistake here - intermediate host ):
- Alveolar echinococcosis caused by the fox tapeworm ( Echinococcus multilocularis ), widespread in the northern hemisphere
- Cystic echinococcosis caused by the dog tapeworm ( Echinococcus granulosus ), common worldwide
- Polycystic echinococcosis , infection with Echinococcus vogeli or E. oligarthra , both endemic to South and Central America

Veterinary medicine:
- Echinococcosis of horses, organ infestation with fins of Echinococcus equinus
- Echinococcosis in cattle, organ infestation with fins from Echinococcus ortleppi
- Echinococcosis in dogs, see Tapeworm Diseases in Dogs

Echinococcal infections in animals are subject to reporting in Germany .

The treatment of choice is the surgical removal of the parasitic tissue, the drug (antihelminthic) therapy in humans (in the case of E. granulosus or E. multilocularis infestation) usually with albendazole .

Individual evidence

↑ Overview of alveolar and cystic echinococcosis in Germany
↑ ^a ^b Erwin Kuntz and Hans-Dieter Kuntz: Parasitic infections and the liver. In: Erwin Kuntz and Hans-Dieter Kuntz: Hepatology. Principles and Practice. 2nd edition. History, Morphology, Biochemistry, Diagnostics, Clinic, Therapy . Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg 2006, ISBN 978-3-540-28976-0 , pp. 485-504.
↑ Dennis Tappe, August Stich and Matthias Frosch: Emergence of Polycystic Neotropical Echinococcosiss. In: Emerging Infectious Diseases , Volume 14, No. 2, 2008, pp. 292-297, PMC 2600197 (free full text).
↑ Annex to Section 1 of the Ordinance on Notifiable Animal Diseases (TKrMeldpflV) in the version published on February 11, 2011 ( Federal Law Gazette I p. 252 ), last amended by Article 381 of the Ordinance of August 31, 2015 ( Federal Law Gazette I p. 1474 )
^ Marianne Abele-Horn: Antimicrobial Therapy. Decision support for the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious diseases. With the collaboration of Werner Heinz, Hartwig Klinker, Johann Schurz and August Stich, 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Peter Wiehl, Marburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-927219-14-4 , p. 199 f.

Web links

Echinococcosis - Information from the Robert Koch Institute
Echinococcus (information from the University of Würzburg)

Wiktionary: Echinococcosis - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

[1] Overview of alveolar and cystic echinococcosis in Germany

[Kuntz_2006-2] Erwin Kuntz and Hans-Dieter Kuntz: Parasitic infections and the liver. In: Erwin Kuntz and Hans-Dieter Kuntz: Hepatology. Principles and Practice. 2nd edition. History, Morphology, Biochemistry, Diagnostics, Clinic, Therapy . Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg 2006, ISBN 978-3-540-28976-0 , pp. 485-504.

[Tappe_2008-3] Dennis Tappe, August Stich and Matthias Frosch: Emergence of Polycystic Neotropical Echinococcosiss. In: Emerging Infectious Diseases , Volume 14, No. 2, 2008, pp. 292-297, PMC 2600197 (free full text).

[4] Annex to Section 1 of the Ordinance on Notifiable Animal Diseases (TKrMeldpflV) in the version published on February 11, 2011 ( Federal Law Gazette I p. 252 ), last amended by Article 381 of the Ordinance of August 31, 2015 ( Federal Law Gazette I p. 1474 )

[5] Marianne Abele-Horn: Antimicrobial Therapy. Decision support for the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious diseases. With the collaboration of Werner Heinz, Hartwig Klinker, Johann Schurz and August Stich, 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Peter Wiehl, Marburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-927219-14-4 , p. 199 f.