Contribution to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Life-Threatening Parasitosis Caused by the Parasite Echinococcus multilocularis.

Echinococcosis is a serious parasitic disease that ends lethally in 95% of untreated infected patients. It was first diagnosed in Slovakia in the year 2000. It is caused by the larval stage of a tapeworm belonging to the genus Echinococcus, which was assigned to the group "A" of zoonoses in the year 2004. The number of new infections is rising because of increasing percentage of infected red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Early and accurate diagnosis of infections with this parasite is essential for proper initiation of adequate therapy. Thanks to professional multidisciplinary efforts and new laboratory procedures, the number of correctly diagnosed cases has increased. Antimicrobial therapeutic approaches can lead to improved quality of life and better prognosis even if radical surgery is refused by the patient.