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Echinococcus
(e-ki″no-kok´әs)
a genus of small tapeworms.
Echinococcus granulosus
a species parasitic in dogs, wolves, and sometimes cats; its larvae may develop in nearly all mammals; it reverses the usual
process of development in human and animal hosts: the adult is found in the intestine of dogs, whereas the larva develops
in the human intestine. Larvae penetrate the intestinal wall and settle in various organs, usually the liver, and less often
the lungs, kidneys, or elsewhere to form hydatid cysts that grow slowly.
Echinococcus multilocularis
a species whose adult forms usually parasitize the fox and wild rodents, although humans are sporadically infected. It resembles
E. granulosus, but the larvae form alveolar or multilocular rather than unilocular cysts.
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