Tapeworm Detected in 37% of Puget Sound Coyotes, First U.S. West Coast Wild-Animal Finding
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Jun 11
Tapeworm Detected in 37% of Puget Sound Coyotes, First U.S. West Coast Wild-Animal Finding
1 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Jun 11
Summary
University of Washington researchers found Echinococcus multilocularis in 37 of 100 coyotes sampled around Puget Sound, the first detection of the parasite in a wild host on the contiguous U.S. West Coast.
The tapeworm spreads through a coyote-rodent cycle: infected canids shed eggs in feces, rodents develop liver cysts, and coyotes are reinfected when they eat those rodents.
Humans and domestic dogs can become accidental hosts by ingesting eggs from contaminated food or feces, leading to alveolar echinococcosis — a slow-developing, potentially fatal disease that may surface 5 to 15 years after exposure.
Seven canine cases have been documented in Washington, Oregon and Idaho since 2023, including five in Washington, while no human West Coast cases have been reported.
Genetic analysis showed the coyotes carried the more infectious European-origin strain now dominant in the U.S. and Canada, underscoring researchers' call for broader wildlife surveillance.