Question: what is the hydatid disease

Marisol Collins answered on 7 Nov 2016:

This is a great question @cheza! Hydatid Disease is the illness that comes from having the tapeworm parasite Echinococcus granulosus (super long name, huh!) living inside you. Many species can develop this disease (we call them ‘hosts’) including sheep, cattle, horses, pigs, camels and even humans. When the parasite invades the liver and the lungs, it can form cysts (a bit like a balloon filled with water) in the tissue, where the parasite can stay alive for many years. These can even be as big as a football! As you can imagine, these cysts can affect the way the organs work and can eventually make the ‘host’ very ill. However, the cysts can take a really long time to grow, so the ‘host’ may not get ill for years sometimes. Imagine having a big cyst inside you and not knowing about it for ages! Scary thought! Thankfully, it can be treated, but it’s not easy!