• Caused by tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus, E. multilocularis, and E. vogeli
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• Endemic in the Mediterranean
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• E.granulosus(liverinvolvement).
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• Their life cycle involves only 2 hosts, one definitive and the other intermediate
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• Humans act as an accidental intermediate hosts Dogs are the definitive host. intermediate hosts: sheep, goats, cattle
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• E.granulosus and E. vogeli cause liver cysts, while E. multilocularis is associated with tumor like lesions or alveolar disease.
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• The most frequent site of hydatid cysts is the liver (50% to 77% of cases), followed by the lungs (10% to 40% of cases).
