--- title: "A Scary Parasite Is Spreading From Dogs to Humans" description: "According to recent research, a cancer-like parasitic disease caused by tapeworms was identified in patients in the Canadian province of Alberta." date: "2021-06-24" modified: "2021-06-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/parasite-spreading-dogs-humans" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "canada" - "dogs" - "parasites" --- # A Scary Parasite Is Spreading From Dogs to Humans ![According to recent research, a cancer-like parasitic disease caused by tapeworms was identified in patients in the Canadian province of Alberta.]() *\Image: Futurism\* A parasite that can jump to humans from dogs has spread to Canada, experts warn. According to recent research, a cancer-like parasitic disease caused by tapeworms was identified in patients in the Canadian province of Alberta, [*Gizmodo* reports](). The researchers believe the parasite was brought over by dogs from Europe and is now making its presence felt in North America. "Alberta is clearly the hot spot," Stan Houston, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Alberta and lead author of [a paper]() on the outbreak published in the *American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene* in March, [told the *CBC*](). "There could be a number of people out there in the community incubating the disease that we haven't found yet but time will tell." "COVID has reminded us that diseases stemming from animals are potentially very important and that we should be paying attention," Houston added. "I am very concerned that we might see the surge continue to increase again." By ingesting microscopic eggs of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis through contaminated food, humans can develop liver cancer-like symptoms, a process that can take years. Other symptoms include weakness, abdominal pain and weight loss. The disease, called alveolar echinococcosis (AE), can be fatal without treatment, which usually involves surgically removing parasitic growths. The fact that it can take five to 15 years to develop symptoms means the disease can often fly under the radar. According to the new paper, a new strain of the parasite that's more capable of spreading and making humans sick has now established itself in Canada. "Seventeen cases of human AE, aged 19–78 years, nine females, were diagnosed between 2013 and 2020: all definitely or probably acquired in Alberta," Houston and his colleagues wrote in the paper. "It is unequivocally new as a human disease in the western hemisphere," Houston told *Gizmodo* in an email. "The explanation very clearly seems to be the introduction of the more virulent European strain of the parasite into our wildlife ecology." Fortunately, human AE is exceedingly rare. But it only recently became endemic to North America, as *Gizmodo* points out. A majority of the roughly 18,000 cases a year globally occurred in China, according to a [2019 study](). There are easy ways to ensure you don't get infected. Good hygiene, including the washing of hands after contact with dogs, particularly those in rural areas, can lower the risk of infection. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()