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== Hydatid Disease (''Echinococcus granulosus'') ==
== Hydatid Disease (''Echinococcus granulosus'') ==
'''Scientific Classification'''
{| cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" border="1"
| Kingdom
| Animalia
|-
| Phylum
| Platyhelminthes
|-
| Class
| Cestoda
|-
| Order
| Cyclophyllidea
|-
| Family
| Taeniidae
|-
| Genus
| Echinococcus
|-
| Species
| '''E. granulosus'''
|}
''Echinococcus granulosus'' is an important zoonosis as its metacestode, the hydatid cyst, can develop in humans, as well as in many other animals. The hydatid cyst can grow to the size of a ping-pong ball in sheep, a tennis ball in horses, and a football in man. The metacestode of the related ''Echinococcus multilocularis'' (the alveolar cyst) is even more dangerous, but fortunately does not occur in the UK.
''Echinococcus granulosus'' is an important zoonosis as its metacestode, the hydatid cyst, can develop in humans, as well as in many other animals. The hydatid cyst can grow to the size of a ping-pong ball in sheep, a tennis ball in horses, and a football in man. The metacestode of the related ''Echinococcus multilocularis'' (the alveolar cyst) is even more dangerous, but fortunately does not occur in the UK.