Researcher Dr David Jenkins says testing in parts of northern Tasmania has shown a presence of hyadatids.

Hydatid disease is caused by a tapeworm and can affect humans, livestock and wildlife. It can prove fatal.

Dr Jenkins says it was though that hydatids had been eliminated from the state, but that is not the case. Listen Duration: 3 minutes 42 seconds 3 m 42 s Listen Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Dr David Jenkins from Charles Sturt University talks about hydatids still being present in Tasmania ( Tony Briscoe ) Download 1.7 MB

Some 300 faecal samples were tested from farms across the north of the state, and around 40 of those proved positive to hydatids.

Dr Jenkins says the tapeworm appears to be affecting more dairy cows than sheep and says more research is needed to find out why.