Evidence Of Hydatid Disease In a Plains Woodland Burial

Hydatid disease is one of the more significant human parasitizations. This disease, caused by a canid tapeworm (Echinococcosus granufosus), is endemic to several regions of the world, primarily those where cattle and sheepherding is common. It is also found among hunting societies. The hydatid cysts which are formed by this infestation most often affect the lungs or liver, where mortality eventually occurs through organ dysfunction. Paleopathological evidence of this disease is rare,however, as bone involvement is infrequent. Occasionally, the cyst dies and may then become calcified, leaving behind a record of the disease. A probable calcified hydatid cyst is described from a Woodland burial in southeastern North Dakota. The implications of hydatid disease on the NorthernPlains are discussed.