Cell-free DNA as a diagnostic tool for human echinococcosis.

Echinococcosis is a major public health problem and an emerging/re-emerging disease. It was proposed that Echinococcus cell-free DNA (cfDNA) could be used in diagnosing human echinococcosis, though earlier attempts failed. Here, we update the research on detecting Echinococcus cfDNA in echinococcosis patients' samples and highlight future research directions.