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Hydatid cyst disease, also called echinococcosis, is a tapeworm infection you get by accidentally swallowing eggs shed in the faeces of infected dogs, usually through contaminated soil, water, or unwashed food - not by eating undercooked meat. The parasite forms slow-growing, fluid-filled cysts, most often in the liver or lungs, that can take years to cause any symptoms. This blood test looks for antibodies your immune system makes against the parasite. It works best when the cyst is in the liver; cysts in other organs, or ones that have calcified or died off, are harder to detect this way, so a negative result does not rule out the disease.
The test reports a positive or negative for antibodies against Echinococcus, the tapeworm responsible for hydatid cyst disease. Its accuracy depends heavily on where the cyst sits: antibody tests pick up roughly 80 to 100 out of 100 liver cysts, but only about 50 to 60 out of 100 cysts located elsewhere in the body, such as the lungs or bone. A cyst that has died or calcified over time can also stop producing a detectable antibody response, so the test is always read alongside an ultrasound or CT scan rather than used on its own to rule the disease out.
Dogs that eat infected sheep or cattle organs carry the adult tapeworm and shed its eggs in their faeces. Humans become infected by accidentally swallowing those eggs - through contaminated soil, unwashed vegetables, or close contact with an infected dog - not through eating meat, a common misunderstanding about how this disease spreads.
Hydatid cysts grow slowly, often over years, before they're large enough to cause symptoms. A liver cyst can eventually cause an enlarged liver, abdominal pain, and jaundice; a lung cyst can cause a persistent cough, breathlessness, or chest pain. Some cysts are only found incidentally on a scan done for another reason.
- Antibody levels depend on where the cyst is - liver cysts are detected far more reliably than cysts elsewhere - Early-stage disease can show a negative antibody result even when a cyst is present - A cyst that has calcified or died no longer reliably triggers an antibody response - Imaging - ultrasound or CT - is what confirms the diagnosis; the blood test supports it
If a hydatid cyst leaks or ruptures, the fluid can trigger a severe allergic reaction, in rare cases progressing to anaphylactic shock - one reason cysts found on imaging are managed carefully once identified.
No. Antibody tests miss a meaningful share of cysts outside the liver, and cysts that have calcified or died often stop producing a detectable antibody response. Your doctor relies on imaging alongside this test rather than the blood result alone.
No, that's a common misunderstanding. Infection happens by swallowing tapeworm eggs shed in an infected dog's faeces, usually through contaminated soil, water, or unwashed produce, not through eating meat.
Antibody tests for hydatid disease are more sensitive for liver cysts than for cysts elsewhere in the body, related to how the parasite exposes itself to the immune system in each location. Cysts in the lungs or bone are harder to confirm with blood testing alone.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
Yes, a ruptured or leaking cyst can trigger a severe allergic reaction, and in rare cases anaphylactic shock. This is why cysts found on imaging are usually managed under specialist care rather than left untreated.
There's no fixed fasting requirement for this test. Ask your doctor or the centre when you book, especially if other blood work is planned at the same visit.
A combination of imaging - usually ultrasound or CT scan - and this antibody blood test is used together, since neither is reliable enough alone. In some cases, fluid or tissue from the cyst itself is examined to confirm the diagnosis.