What is the typical host for Echinococcus granulosus?

Echinococcus granulosus is a tapeworm that typically resides in the intestines of canids, with dogs being the primary definitive hosts. The life cycle of Echinococcus granulosus involves dogs or other canids consuming the organs of infected intermediate hosts, such as sheep, cattle, or humans, where forms of the parasite develop into cysts. Humans can act as intermediate hosts accidentally, often through the ingestion of eggs from contaminated sources. Therefore, dogs play a crucial role in the transmission cycle of Echinococcus granulosus, making them the typical host in which the adult parasite resides.