Research by the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) has confirmed that a type of tiny tapeworm that can cause a “tumour-like disease” in humans is now common in Albertan wildlife.
The parasite, called echinococcus multilocularis, was first discovered in wildlife in Western Canada in 2012, UCVM said in a press release.
One year later, the first human case of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) – a “tumour-like disease” – caused by the tapeworm was diagnosed.
The disease develops slowly over several years, causing multiplying lesions in the body, especially the liver, and is potentially fatal if left undiagnosed and left to spread to other organs.
“This strain has spread all over Alberta and it is very common,” said lead researcher Dr. Alessandro Massolo.
“The fact that it’s the strain that is causing these human cases of AE really suggests very strongly that we are facing a new emergence, and a change in what we thought was the risk of AE,” he said.
Since 2016, six people in Alberta have been diagnosed with the disease, which is spread through the feces of coyotes and foxes that have eaten infected rodents.
Pets can pick up the parasites through contact with the infected feces, developing adult worms and then passing eggs in their feces, which can contaminate food consumed by humans.
The eggs are not visible to the human eye, which means that infection is also viable through hand to mouth contact after handling contaminated soil or even a pet’s fur.
“From a public health perspective, to me [this] is very relevant, because it has to change the way you assess the risk for this disease,” Massolo said.
The tapeworms have also been found in Ontario wildlife, with research suggesting the parasite has been present in the region for decades and is now well established.
