REPORTINGWolves and Echinococcus granulosus
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Idaho
Wildlife |
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Wolves have been re-introduced into Idaho during the last several decades. Although they were checked for diseases before being released, wolves can become infected with several diseases after release and can potentially spread those to people. Direct contact with wolves is never good. They're wild animals, belong in the wild and are not appropriate as pets.
Do wolves carry rabies?
Like all warm-blooded animals, wolves can potentially carry the rabies virus. There have been no cases of rabies in wolves in northern Idaho so far. Still, any wolf bite needs medical attention immediately. There is no approved rabies vaccine for wolves or wolf-hybrids, and it is not known how long a wolf contagious with the rabies virus can live. Because of this, nearly all wolves or wolf-hybrids that have bitten a person are euthanized and tested for rabies. If the animal is not available, it will be recommended that the person who was bitten receive the series of rabies shots.
What is Echinococcus granulosus?
Echinococcus granulosus (EG) is a parasitic tapeworm.
Does it infect people?
It can. People can ingest tapeworms when they eat food or drink water contaminated with feces from an infected animal. It's more easily done than you want to think. A coyote, wolf or dog infected with EG will pass EG eggs in its feces, which it deposits on the dirt. The eggs can survive for months out in the environment.
If the dirt comes in contact with a water source, the water becomes contaminated. You can get infected when you drink from the contaminated source without properly treating the water first.
What happens to you if you're infected with EG?
Once the eggs are inside your intestine, they develop into larvae and start moving around. If they travel outside your intestines, they find tissue, such as your liver or lungs, and form cysts. Most infections are not life-threatening, but some severe infections can be fatal. Medications that can shrink EG cysts are available by prescription. So are medications that are toxic to tapeworms. They target adult tapeworms and not the eggs.
Stool samples are generally checked monthly or every few months after the medication. The success rate is high in people who receive appropriate treatment.
Can a person give EG to another person?
People don't spread EG to other people.
Where is EG found?
EG is found worldwide. It's most common in the rural grazing areas where dogs, wolves and coyotes pick it up when they ingest the organs of infected sheep and cattle. In the United States, EG that dogs pick up from sheep is common in the West, particularly California, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. EG that was passed from sheep to dogs was present in Idaho at one time decades before the re-introduction of wolves.
Will EG be a problem in Idaho with the re-introduction of wolves?
Sixty-two percent of the wolves tested in Idaho between 2006 and 2008 were infected with EG. Scientists are studying the distribution of EG in Idaho to find out if wolves are making a difference. All the wolves that were re-introduced to Idaho were tested and treated for diseases before being released into the wild.
Can people get exposed to EG from wolves?
People don't interact with wolves much, so the potential for contamination is low. Wolf hunters are encouraged to wear latex or rubber gloves when field dressing and skinning wolves, which are the same recommendations for handling all wildlife carcasses.
Where are people most likely to be exposed to EG?
Infected dogs are one of the more common sources of EG infections in people. Regular treatments that kill intestinal parasite worms for domestic dogs and practicing good hygiene are the best methods of control and prevention of EG in people. People should keep their dogs away from potentially contaminated uncooked animal carcasses.
I'm a hunter. How worried should I be about EG?
You should be aware of the parasite but not afraid. Don't harvest obviously sick animals. Wear latex or rubber gloves when you're field dressing wildlife. Cool the carcass as soon as possible with clean equipment. Cook the meat thoroughly before eating.
Here's a link to more information: