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National Post

Northern Alberta epicenter for rare coyote-borne tapeworm: U of A doctor

A forty-fold increase in a Canadian strain of coyote-borne tapeworm that can cross to the human population is causing concerns for doctors in northern Alberta. Article content Echinococcus multilocularis is a zoonotic parasite that resides quite harmlessly in coyotes, foxes, wolves— even domestic dogs and cats, but the symptoms in humans are enough to make you wash your hands, rinse, and repeat if you shake a paw. Article content Article content Dr. Dave Waldner is an infectious diseases physician affiliated with the University of Alberta. Article content 'We haven't had it as an issue in Alberta and Canada for too long, but over the last several years, it's certainly been emerging and concerning,' Waldner said. Article content Current diagnosed cases put the risk as low — one in 100,000 Albertans. Article content The first was identified in 2013 in Edmonton, and the majority of Alberta cases are in the northern half of the province. Article content Mice and voles perpetuate the disease by eating eggs shed in canid dung and then being consumed by a predator. Article content The disease was probably inadvertently imported from Europe in a dog or fox, which aren't required to be dewormed, and does not cause obvious symptoms in the host coyote, fox, dog, or cat. Article content 'We've now identified over 40 cases in Alberta, and there's several more throughout other parts of Canada, but Alberta seems to be a bit of a hot spot,' Waldner said. Article content 'We have the majority of the cases in Canada.' Article content Article content According to a May 2022 bulletin from Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, posted on Alberta Health's MyHealth website, the disease caused by the tapeworm, alveolar echinococcosis (AE) spreads animal-to-person but not person-to-person. Article content Article content 'People can be infected by E. multi by accidentally swallowing tapeworm eggs from contaminated food or water, or from handling infected animals,' it reads. Article content Alberta Health said the common ways of getting AE include eating foods (usually wild berries and herbs) or drinking water that has been contaminated with the stool of an infected coyote, fox, dog, or cat.