Canadian‐Acquired Hydatid Disease: A Case Report

Abstract

Echinococcal cysts are unusual in Canada, and most cases seen are in immigrants. In northern Canadian communities,Echinococcus granulosisinfection occasionally is acquired from dogs that feed on the entrails of caribou or moose. Seventeen patients with Canadian-acquired hydatid cysts were seen over an 11-year period. One challenging case is described in detail. An 18-year-old aboriginal woman presented with jaundice, pain, lower extremity edema and coagulopathy from a 26 cm echinococcal hepatic cyst. She was successfully treated with a combination of oral albendazole, percutaneous drainage and surgery. One-year follow-up showed no recurrence of disease. The management options for echinococcal cysts are extensively reviewed.

Echinococcal disease in Alberta, Canada: more than a calcified opacity

“…A previous study from northern Canada and the United States described hepatic involvement in 71% of cases and pulmonary involvement in only 7% of cases [4]. The results of a recent study of 17 patients from Manitoba and northwestern Ontario were comparable to ours with pulmonary involvement in 47% and hepatic involvement in 47% of cases [7]. However, the true rate of hepatic versus pulmonary ED cannot be determined by these studies as detection is often on the basis of radiographic studies performed for reasons unrelated to the ED.…”

Multiple Zoonotic Pathogens Identified in Canine Feces Collected from a Remote Canadian Indigenous Community

“…9,16,20 Previous reports have implicated domestic dogs as a potential source of these zoonoses. 2,6,9,11,15,21 In this study, the prevalence of T. canis in fecal samples was greater than that previously identified in owned dogs in the United States and Canada, 17,22,23 although it was within the range reported for stray dogs 24,25 and dogs in northern Canadian aboriginal communities. 1,26 This variation in prevalence of infection could be the result of differences in anthelmintic treatment among the different groups of dogs.…”

“…[5][6][7] This may be related to the fact that many of these communities have large populations of freeroaming domestic dogs and little access to veterinary care. These dogs have frequent contact with one another, canine feces, and a variety of refuse and foodstuffs that potentially contain zoonotic agents, all of which promote intestinal infection with a variety of zoonoses and subsequent human exposure.…”

“…This is problematic, because people infected with canine fecal zoonoses often exhibit non-specific clinical signs 6,8,9 that can be misdiagnosed if health care workers are unaware of the presence of these pathogens in their jurisdictions. Also, until the health risk posed by domestic dogs is better understood, it will not be possible to institute effective strategies to prevent human infection.…”

“…11 To date, no other cases of infection with canine fecal zoonoses have been definitively identified; however, other than the Echinococcus investigation, 11 no studies have been undertaken to determine the prevalence of these organisms and/or their associated diseases in people from this community. Given the generally non-specific clinical signs caused by infection with canine-fecal zoonosis, 6,8,9 it is possible that human infection with these organisms has occurred and gone undiagnosed. Because the pathogens identified in this study pose a potential threat to human health, animal and human health-care professionals working in rural and remote indigenous Canadian communities should be aware of the significant and ongoing public-health risks associated with domestic dogs.…”