Sponsored by Dogs are the main culprits in the spread of hydatids, a common but largely ignored disease in Australia that can kill people, livestock and wildlife. There are few things a young child likes more than to be licked in the face by a friendly dog. Hydatid disease is a parasite infection of humans and animals. In Australia hydatid disease is caused by a tiny tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus .
Hydatid disease occurs throughout most of the world.
In Australia, the disease is most common in the sheep-farming areas of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, southwest Western Australia and eastern Queensland. It is believed to occur in South Australia but since no recent studies have been conducted there, its status is unknown. It has also been found in cattle populations in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, in northern Queensland and near Darwin in the Northern Territory. Scientists believe that E. granulosus arrived in Australia soon after European settlement, probably in infected sheep or dogs. Its distribution is determined largely by climate.