Reprint of “Survey and first molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (G1) in Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) in Buenos Aires province, Argentina”

- South America is one of the major endemic areas of Cystic echinococcosis, include Argentina.
- Ten adults attributable to Echinococcus granulosus were isolate from a Pampas fox.
- Isolate adults were genotyping as E. granulosus sensu stricto G1 by molecular analysis.
- The prevalence estimate in foxes was of 1.05% in rural areas of southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina.

Echinococcosis is a zoonosis caused by tapeworms of the genus Echinococcus. Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s. l.) has a world-wide distribution and its transmission is primarily maintained in a synanthropic cycle with dogs as definitive hosts and livestock species as intermediate hosts. However, many wild canids also function as definitive hosts for E. granulosus s. l. Echinococcosis in humans is mainly caused by E. granulosus sensu stricto (s. s.) G1 genotype. In the present work, we expanded the epidemiological study on echinococcosis reported cases in Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) to provide a prevalence estimate for rural areas of southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Ninety-five whole intestines were analyzed using the sedimentation and counting technique with a result of 83 foxes (87.37%) harboring at least one helminth species. E. granulosus s. l. adults were found in one Pampas fox (1.05%). These adult helminthes were E. granulosus s. s. (G1) according to the genotyping analysis of a 450-bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene.

First reported of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (G1) in wild definitive host (Lycalopex gymnocercus) in South America. Prevalence estimated and genotyping by using cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1).109