If your pet has this tapeworm, it could kill you

A coyote cools off in the shade of a leafy suburb. Wildlife interactions with pets and humans can transfer disease, including the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis.

(Winston Wong/flickr), CC BY-NC-SA

Emily J Jenkins

Associate Professor, Veterinary Parasitology and Public Health, University of Saskatchewan

Dogs are sending us an early warning signal about the spread of a potentially deadly tapeworm in North America.

The tapeworm, Echinococcus multilocularis, is normally found in rodents and other wild animals, including coyotes and foxes, but can spill over into cats and dogs — and even humans.