Hydatid Disease

Caused by a tapeworm called Echinococcus that exists in the intestines of animals, Hydatid disease is prevalent in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India.

The tapeworms, which are about 7 millimetres in length, live in the small intestines of dogs. Its eggs are excreted in the dog faeces and contaminate the soil, vegetation and drinking water. This is its point of entry into the food chain after which it infects members of the chain – sheep, cattle and humans.

Human beings could get infected by consuming unwashed vegetables, or water, that is contaminated with an infected dog’s faeces. One can even get infected by playing with an infected dog or inhaling dust contaminated with Echinococcus eggs.

The disease is, however, not contagious and cannot be transferred from one infected person to another.

Symptoms
The symptoms of hydatid disease is usually manifested several years after getting infected. It may take five to twenty years before it is diagnosed, as the cysts that form as a part of the infection, grow very slowly.

The size of the cyst may vary from a pinhead to that of a small football. Mostly, they are located in the liver, and in the lungs, brain, long bones and kidney. They are filled with a clear fluid and contain a large number of tape worm heads. A cyst in any one of the vital organs could prove to be fatal. A large cyst in the liver can cause jaundice.

Treatment:

• The cyst has to be removed surgically.

 

• The patient is put a drug called Mebendazole.

 

Prevention and control
Maintain personal hygiene, wash hands after handling dogs. Ensure that your area is free of stray dogs. Besides, the state should spread health awareness among butchers, animal breeders, dog owners and shepherds and ensure regular inspection of slaughter houses.