A disease lurking in Ontario coyotes and foxes is threatening dog owners

THREAT TO HUMANS

Typically, canids are infected in their intestines, thereby not causing any real harm to the animal. Sometimes, though, the parasite may leave the intestines and form cysts in the animal’s liver. At the very least, a dog can serve as a bridge to human infection by bringing the parasite home—and that’s when the danger starts. Pet owners can become infected with AE by inadvertently getting the eggs on their hands and ingesting them. Predator hunters and trappers are also considered at risk.

When the eggs hatch in humans, they grow ever so slowly, taking from five to 15 years to cause symptoms such as headaches, vomiting and cramping. Individuals typically remain unaware they are infected unless it is discovered through routine screening for other illnesses.

The doubly unfortunate part is that the longer AE remains undiagnosed, the more difficult it is to treat, often involving surgery to remove the tumour-like mass. In cases where there is no treatment or treatment occurs too late, the fatality rate can be as high at 94 per cent.