Deadly ‘fox tapeworm’ linked to lethal disease detected in West Coast wildlife

A parasitic tapeworm called Echinococcus multilocularis, known as the 'fox tapeworm,' has been detected in 37 out of 100 coyotes near Puget Sound, Washington, according to a University of Washington study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. The parasite, which can cause a rare but deadly disease in humans, has expanded its range in North America, with a more infectious European variant now prevalent in the U.S. and Canada.