Echinococcus

Echinococcus /Echi·no·coc·cus/ (e-ki?no-kok´us) a genus of small tapeworms, including E. granulo´sus, usually parasitic in dogs and wolves, whose larvae (hydatids) may develop in mammals, forming hydatid tumors or cysts chiefly in the liver; and E. multilocula´ris, whose larvae form alveolar or multilocular cysts and whose adult forms usually parasitize the fox and wild rodents, although humans are sporadically infected.

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echinococcus /echi·no·coc·cus/ pl. echinococ´ci   an individual organism of the genus Echinococcus.

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Echinococcus

n.

A genus of parasitic tapeworms, the larvae of which, under certain conditions, infect humans, forming large hydatid cysts in the liver or lungs and causing serious or fatal disease.

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e·chi·no·coc·cus (-kn-kks)

n. pl. e·chi·no·coc·ci (-kks, -kk)

A tapeworm of the genus Echinococcus.

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Echinococcus

a genus of small tapeworms of the family Taeniidae.

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Echinococcus granulosus

a species parasitic in dogs and wolves and occasionally in cats; its larvae may develop in ungulates and macropods, forming hydatid cysts in the liver, lungs, kidneys and/or other organs.

Echinococcus multilocularis

a species whose adult stage usually parasitizes the fox, dog and cat. It resembles E. granulosus, but the larvae form alveolar or multilocular rather than unilocular cysts and occur principally in rodents but can infect humans.

Echinococcus oligarthus

occurs in wild cats with larval stages in rodents.

Echinococcus vogeli

occurs in domestic and wild dogs with intermediate stages in rodents and humans.