Diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis on sheep farms in the south of Argentina: areas with a control program

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.