Hydatid disease, or human hydatid disease, is a zoonotic disease (that is, transmitted from animals to humans) caused by parasites of the genus Echinococcus.
This was explained by Víctor Parada, head of epidemiology at the Osorno Health Service (Health Network Interconnection Department), who detailed that people can become infected with the disease by unknowingly ingesting parasite eggs, which are parasitic Eggs are often found, for example, in the feces of dogs that have previously eaten the offal of animals such as sheep, goats or cattle that are contaminated with these parasites.
In order to break this chain of transmission and prevent the emergence of hydatid disease, it is recommended to safely handle offal at home slaughter so that dogs or other livestock cannot access them for feeding.
In the province of Osorno, the highest number of cases of echinococcosis occurs in the commune of the same name (72 cases reported between 2017 and 2022), although the highest infection rate is in the commune of San Juan de la Costa, where 28. per 100,000 inhabitants per year There were 2 new cases, followed by the town of Puyehue with 24.1 new cases per 100,000 residents per year.
Trichinellosis, on the other hand, is a zoonotic disease caused by Trichinella spiralis, a parasite that lives in the intestines and muscle tissue of various mammals. The main source of infection in humans is from pork and wild animals. Pork products and by-products. .
Expert Víctor Parada pointed out that the main way to prevent these diseases is to avoid eating contaminated meat.
Facing symptoms such as myalgia, conjunctivitis, fever, headache, eyelid inflammation, or changes in blood tests; People should receive specialized treatment from a doctor, while those who have been exposed to the consumption of contaminated meat can receive prophylactic prophylaxis with antiparasitic drugs, or if this is not possible, monitoring as medically indicated.
It is worth mentioning that between 2018 and 2021, a total of 30 cases of trichinellosis occurred in the province, mainly concentrated in the communities of San Juan de la Costa and Osorno.
