The Deadly Tapeworm Spreading Across America Has Reached the Pacific Northwest

University of Washington researchers found Echinococcus multilocularis in 37 of 100 coyotes sampled in Puget Sound, Washington.

This is the first confirmed detection of the dangerous tapeworm in a wild host along the contiguous U.S. West Coast.

The parasite can cause severe, sometimes fatal disease in dogs and humans, including alveolar echinococcosis.

Its appearance in the Pacific Northwest suggests the risk area may be expanding and calls for closer monitoring and prevention.