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| Hydatid DiseaseWhat is Hydatid Disease
Hydatid Disease in Tasmania
Tasmania's Provisional Freedom
Dealing with Residual Infection
Minimising the Risk of Entry
Recommendations for all Dog Owners
Further Information
Hydatid disease, also known as hydatidosis or echinococcosis, is a parasitic infection of various animals, which can infect humans. The disease is caused by a small tapeworm living in dogs, dingoes and foxes.
Tapeworm eggs pass out in the faeces of infected dogs. If eaten by a suitable host, these eggs may develop into hydatid cysts in the internal organs of the host, especially the liver and lung. On the Australian mainland, these cysts occur in several species including sheep, goats, cattle, kangaroos and wallabies.
Hydatid cysts contain large numbers of what are basically new tapeworm heads. The life cycle is completed when a dog, dingo or fox eats material containing hydatid cysts (eg. sheep liver) and becomes infected with hydatid tapeworms. See life cycle of hydatid tapeworm below.
Humans can also become infected by accidentally swallowing hydatid eggs. These eggs are minute and sticky and easily transferred from the dog to human hands. In humans, cysts may grow quite large, causing medical problems and necessitating surgical treatment. The disease is occasionally fatal.
In the early 1960s, a control program was commenced by the state government, aimed at stopping transmission of hydatid disease to humans. At the time, the disease was extremely common in sheep and rural dogs in Tasmania, and a disturbing number of human cases, some fatal, were occurring.
The Tasmanian program was based on stopping the hydatid life cycle by denying dogs access to internal organs of sheep, cattle, goats and pigs.
Hydatid disease in Tasmania affects dogs, sheep and cattle. Unlike mainland Australia states, Tasmania does not have dingoes and there is no known involvement of native or feral animals. Tasmania’s fox detection and eradication efforts should ensure that foxes have minimal impact.
The control program was extremely successful in that it appears that transmission of the disease to humans in Tasmania ceased in the early 1970s. In contrast, no hydatid disease control programs have been attempted on mainland Australia because the disease also affects native and feral animals.
It remains illegal in Tasmania to feed or allow dogs access to cooked or uncooked offal from cattle, sheep, goats or pigs. Offal refers to all internal organs from these types of animals.
Fresh livers and hearts from butchers shops and supermarkets should not be fed to dogs.
Offal is sometimes found in manufactured pet food. This is safe and legal to feed to dogs because it has been commercially sterilised or heat-treated according to an approved process.
In February 1996, Tasmania was declared provisionally free of hydatid disease in dogs and sheep, following disposal of the last known infected sheep flocks. This does not mean that hydatid disease has been eradicated from Tasmania, but signals that we have reached a significant stage in the eradication process. The disease is now very rare in Tasmania. In order to maintain provisional freedom, and progress towards eradication, we must continue do three things:
1. Detect and remove any residual infection
2. Minimise the risk of infection entering from the mainland
3. Permanently identify all imported livestock to enable differentiation at slaughter
Each year in Tasmania, up to 400,000 sheep and 60,000 cattle are inspected in abattoirs at slaughter. If any hydatid cysts are found, the property of origin is thoroughly investigated. The infected flock or herd may be quarantined and progressively slaughtered.
Dogs entering Tasmania are required to be treated for hydatid tapeworms.
Dogs are allowed entry to Tasmania if accompanied by a veterinary certificate or a Statutory Declaration of treatment within the previous 14 days with the drug praziquantel or evidence of treatment, such as the pill packet. This is a common, harmless and highly effective treatment against tapeworms, and it is found in many types of ‘all wormer’ tablets for dogs.
The major air and sea transport operators are advising people booking travel for dogs to Tasmania of the special entry requirements for dogs, and are advising them to call the free-call telephone number:
This telephone number provides a 24 hour recorded information service with details of the entry requirement for dogs.
Although Tasmania is considered to be provisionally free of hydatid disease, there are a number of simple recommendations that all dog owners should continue to observe:
| Do not feed dogs uncooked or cooked liver or hearts ie. offal, even if purchased from a butcher for human consumption. Commercially prepared dog food is fine. | | Prevent access of dogs to dead stock or fresh offal. | | Prevent dogs from roaming or straying. | | Always wash hands thoroughly after handling dogs. This is particularly important for children. | | Treat dogs regularly with an all-wormer treatment containing praziquantel. |
Contact: Animal Health and Welfare BranchBiosecurity and Product Integrity Division
Animal Health and Welfare Branch
13 St Johns Avenue
NEW TOWN TAS 7008
Phone: 03 6233 6875
Email: AnimalWelfareEnquiries@dpipwe.tas.gov.au
 Department switchboard: 1300 368 550 (local call cost within Australia)
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