title: Diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis on sheep farms in the south of Argentina: areas with a control program.
abstract: In 2000 Guarnera et al. proposed using ELISA in canine faeces collected from the ground to detect dogs infected with Echinococcus granulosus, thus determining sheep farms with active transmission. The objective was to evaluate the prevalence of E. granulosus infection in sheep farms of the Patagonia. Sheep farms were randomly selected in the Provinces of Río Negro, Chubut, Neuquén, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego (areas with control programs) and La Pampa (comparison area). From one to three samples of fecal matter were obtained for each sheep farm, which were processed by means of copro-ELISA test with confirmation of positive samples by copro-Western blot. A total of 1042 samples were obtained from 352 sheep farms, 26 (7.3%) proving positive. Of these 5 (6.3%) were from La Pampa, 9 (13.8%) from Neuquén, 4 (4.7%) from Río Negro, 2 (2.9%) from Chubut, 1 (5.9%) from Santa Cruz and 5 (13.9%) from Tierra del Fuego. The identification of parasitized dogs is an essential activity upon which rests the strategy of control and surveillance. Arecoline tests or coproantigen test with fecal matter obtained directly from the dog contribute information on individual prevalence, while the use of coproantigens detected in ground-collected samples transfers the dog unit of observation to units of greater epidemiological value. In the present experience, the technique employed seems promising for its application in systems of epidemiological surveillance of cystic echinococcosis and in drawing a baseline on which to measure the progress of control programs in the Argentine Patagonia in subsequent years.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Pampa, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cavagión
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santillan
authors.forename: Fabián
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zanini
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saldía
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cantoni
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.forename: María T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Araya
authors.forename: Nicolás Alvarez
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Rubianes
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguado
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meglia
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guarnera
authors.forename: Edmundo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Larrieu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001115:Arecoline / Q000494:pharmacology; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D002400:Cathartics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000469:parasitology*; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D002400:Cathartics; D001115:Arecoline