Echinococcus Infection

Echinococcus Infection General Information

Echinococcus Infection is also called Hydatid disease or Echinococcosis. This medical condition is caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus in its larval (immature) form. The parasite can be found on livestock and on dogs. This is one of the three forms of the Echinococcus species that live in those regions where livestock and dogs stay together. Echinococcus Infection is spread world wide and can be observed in areas of Australia, Eastern Europe, Mediterranean, South America, Africa, New Zeeland or China. More rare cases of people suffering from this medical condition were reported in some parts of the western United States of America. Humans get infected with this tapeworm after a direct contact with these two animals or with the parasitic eggs that are released in the surrounding nature during shedding. The most common forms of this disease (Echinococcus Infection) cause severe damage to different organs, as the result of cyst formation and allergic reactions to various agents. Usually, a person is considered to be infected with Echinococcus parasite after he or she has ingested eggs. After this, the cysts that contain the larvae develop primarily in the liver or in the lungs. The most common are the cysts that appear in the liver and that represent one half of Echinococcosis causes.  This type of infection is a serious international health problem because it affects more and more people from any parts of the world. For example, only in Kenya, the number of infected persons increases significantly year by year.

Echinococcus Infection Symptoms

Any sign or symptom specific for Echinococcus Infection usually appears after the period of incubation, meaning after years and even decades. This is why in the early stages of this particular medical condition, many of the patients infected with the Echinococcus parasite are asymptomatic (the disease does not manifest). The embryos of these parasites enter in the lungs or in the liver, but as well in heart, brain, kidneys, bones or muscles. Those embryos that are not killed by the immune system of the patient’s body transform into hydatid cysts. These cysts then grow causing dysfunction, occlusion or pain depending on the organ areas that has been affected. In 60-80% of the cases, the cysts develop in the liver, only 9% in the lungs and the rest of 1% in the other areas mentioned before. The majority of patients develop only one such hydatid cyst. Other signs and symptoms that may occur when a person is dealing with Echinococcus Infection are the following: nausea, dyspnea, cirrhosis, troubles with breathing, headaches, migraines, metabolic disorders, hemoptysis, cough and specific manifestations of liver diseases. This parasitic disorder has predilection for men, but in European areas the ratio between male and female is equal while in China studies showed that women are more prone to develop it. Some other studies showed that the symptoms usually appear around 50 years. If the cysts get bigger, they put pressure on the affected areas and on the blood vessels. Severe complications appear if the cyst ruptures.

Echinococcus Infection Treatment

Echinococcus Infection puts real problems in a person’s life because it manifests years or even decades after the infection, causing severe complications. Left untreated, this medical condition is fatal for more than 55% of the patients. Nowadays, new methods have been developed or improved in order to better diagnose and treat the disease. Many complications, for example septicemia, cholangitis, brain metastases, Budd-Chiari disease, biliary obstruction, portal hypertension, or obstruction of the vena cava lead to death. The treatment for Echinococcus Infection can be very expensive because it requires many years of therapy and follow-up care. Also, not many treatments actually give results, so that the prognosis is unpredictable. However, new researches succeeded to improve the quality of life and the rates of survival, as a combination between three methods of therapy has become very popular: benzimidazole treatment, interventional radiology and surgery. But before the specialists proceed with the treatment, careful and close consultations must be performed. Your health care provider may recommend you to consult with a radiologist, a specialist in liver diseases and infections and with different surgeons. The doctor will see if you suffer from Echinococcus Infection through an X-ray that will reveal the presence of cysts. Sometimes, blood tests may be needed because this is a rare medical condition that can be difficult to diagnose. Also, it is very important that the fluid contained by the cysts is tested to discover the existence of the parasite.

The examinations must be done in detail in order to eliminate other possible disorders, such as hepatic abscesses or cysts, cancer of the lungs or tuberculosis. After the exact diagnosis is established, the medical professional can apply the adequate treatment that usually depends on the site (location) of the cysts and on the health problems that they determine. Some doctors prefer the surgery to take out the cyst although this method is not always effective, causing even major and life-threatening complications. A doctor may choose to treat Echinococcus Infection with various medicines after the surgery was performed, in order to prevent a possible come back of the tapeworm. The drug of choice for treating Echinococcus Infection is albenzdazole administrated daily, for at least five months. The necessary dosage is 15-20 ms/kg and must be taken during meals. The right way of administration of this drug consists in a trial of thirty days followed by a period of fourteen days without taking the medicine. If relapses occur, the procedure must be repeated. The second drug of choice is mebendazole because this one is more effective against other types of worms than tapeworms. The doses of mebendazole are higher; usually 60-80 mg/kg administrated 3 times per day, for four months. An adjunct therapy is based on praziquantel, destroying only the middle part of the hydatid cyst. It is now used in combination with albendazole, given in two doses (10mg/kg): in the pre and post-operative period to protect the patient in the case that the cyst spill.