Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is not your average tropical disease. It is a parasitic zoonosis caused by the larval stage of a tapeworm called Echinococcus granulosus, and across Africa, it quietly damages both human health and livestock economies without getting the attention it deserves. Here is a breakdown of where things stand with CE across the continent, what drives transmission, how it is diagnosed and treated, and where the biggest knowledge gaps lie. What Is Cystic Echinococcosis? Two types of hosts keep this parasite going. Adult tapeworms live in the small intestine of dogs and other canids like wolves and foxes. These definitive hosts shed eggs in their feces. Intermediate hosts, mainly…