Autochthonous human case of Echinococcus ortleppi cystic echinococcosis in Brittany, Western part of France

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a worldwide infection due to the larval stage of <i>Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato</i>, a taeniid tapeworm of canids. Identification of the causative agent at species level relies on molecular methods such as DNA sequencing or species-specific qPCR, which are rarely used for routine case management. Among the different species within the <i>E. granulosus</i> complex, <i>Echinococcus ortleppi</i> (<i>E. granulosus</i> genotype G5 former "cattle strain") has been reported in only 19 human cases worldwide, including 3 in France. We report the 20th case of <i>E. ortleppi</i> cystic echinococcosis, which is an French autochthonous case of a patient without usual risk factors for CE, and living in an area not known to be endemic for <i>E. ortleppi</i>. This case highlights that medical community should be aware of the benefits from molecular epidemiology in understanding the landscape of parasitic diseases.