E Denstedt
University of Guelph – Master of Public Health
- Echinococcus multilocularis is a potentially emerging public health threat in Canada
- E. multilocularis is a zoonotic tapeworm previously identified as endemic in the Northern Tundra Zone and southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
- Multiple domestic dogs were recently discovered to be infected in Ontario, the first ever documentation of this parasite as endemic in the province
- E. multilocularis in people can be severe, and locally-acquired cases in humans have been reported very rarely in Canada
- E. multilocularis was likely introduced into new Canadian regions via canine importation
- With urban wildlife changes, new environments in Canada may now be contaminated with the tapeworm
- Human cases may be underreported or going unrecognized
- The results of this review highlight the need for additional research on the parasite’s geographic distribution in wildlife, policy changes for canine importation, and increased surveillance in the human population