It takes years for symptoms to show up. Oh, but when they do.... The Liver The growing cyst puts pressure on the liver, producing symptoms of obstructive jaundice and abdominal pain. If the cyst ruptures into the biliary tree (the collection system of bile in the liver), severe, possibly life-threatening inflammation along with intense pain and jaundice. The most serious problem, though, is the rupture of the cyst. This occurs in 50-90% of the cases. It can cause anaphylactic

Above is the life cycle of E. granulosus. Life is fine for all concerned if the pattern follows the red lines, However, if there's the detour to the blue lines--the accidental ingestion of an egg by a human instead of a sheep--then consequences ensue. Notice that the egg is shed in feces. Dog poop. Since this parasite is transmitted to humans via the all-too-common route of fecal-oral, good hygiene ( in theory) should prevent this. We all know that hand-washing, the most impo

This past winter, I went to Haiti under the auspices of the Christian Veterinary Mission. (Yes, I realize that that might seem odd, but they are doing great work there, and were quite respectful of my non-Christian status. There is an enormous number of missionaries keeping certain parts of the safety net afloat. It's not a sustainable model, but it is going to be needed for decades.) It's hardly news that Haiti is in a world of hurt. They were in bad shape before the earthqu