Abstract: Echinococcosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease caused by infection of hydatid cyst, parasitizing in small intestine of definitive hosts such as dog, wolf and fox, in intermediate hosts, including cattle, sheep, pig, camel and human. Echinococcosis lacks specificity in clinical manifestations and most cases are inapparent infections. It is difficult to detect the causative agent of this disease. It seriously endangers the health of the pastoral people and the development of animal husbandry. In this article, the etiology and epidemiology of echinococcosis were characterized, and the research advances in detection and diagnostic techniques of this disease were reviewed, in hoping to provide references for the prevention and control of this disease and its further research.