CBC News Report: Nationwide tracking sought for rare disease that is spread by canines, fatal if untreated
Nationwide tracking sought for rare disease that is spread by canines, fatal if untreated
Madeleine Cummings, September 19, 2023
As cases creep upward of a rare disease that spreads to humans from wild canines and dogs, medical experts say it’s important to get a better understanding of its incidence across the country.
Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is an infection caused by the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis, which is carried by coyotes, dogs and foxes. The tapeworm common in Europe was first detected in wildlife in Western Canada in 2012; one year later, the first human case of AE was found in a woman in rural Alberta.