Summary

Surveys on the incidence of Echinococcus disease conducted on the native population in Northern North America reveal the role of wild animal reservoirs and show that sylvatic Echinococcus exists across the northern part of Canada and Alaska. The type of life cycle found in Alaska is compared to the Canadian type and some theories advanced to explain the differences. Finally, the widespread incidence of Echinococcus in the recently recorded endemic areas in the Northland suggests the possible spread of the disease to other parts of North America.