Search

Echinococcus granulosus is the agent that causes the classical hydatidosis or cystic echinococcosis. The most spread cycle in South America is the sheep-dog cycle, and offers favorable conditions for the development of the parasite. As the province of La Pampa shows an endemic presence with notification of cases and infected dogs, the present work has the aim of contributing to the study of the distribution and prevalence of the disease in the district of Maracó, La Pampa, Argentina. Dogs of 36 farms that had ovines, were dosed with arecoline hydrobromide at a dose of 3.5 mg/kg. Dogs from 27 (75%) farms resulted positive to Tenia sp. and 3 (8.3%) to E. granulosus. Blood samples were taken to all the people living in all the inquired farm and were processed by the ELISA test for hydatidosis. A retrospective survey on cases of human hydatidosis attended in the Hospital of General Pico, head if the sanitary region, and in two private clinics was performed. Analysis of clinical records indicated 11 cases operated during the period 1996/1997 (annual incidence rate of 6.8 per 100,000 inhabitants). It is of public health interest to fulfill epidemiologic investigations in other districts of the Province of La Pampa with the aim of delimitating the endemic distribution within the province and also organizing surveillance systems on human hydatidosis.

Hydatidosis situation in the General Acha area (La Pampa Province) is described herein. The work comprises a retrospective compilacion of new hydatidosis human cases, the findings in seroepidemiological surveys with enzyme immuno assay (EIA) for hydatidosis in human population, and investigation on dog Echinococcus granulosus infection prevalence carried out on the basis of arecoline bromhydrate application. Sixteen human cases were detected during 1994 (incidence rate: 26.7/100,000), founding a serological prevalence of 1.3%. Studies on dog echinococosis have shown a prevalence rate of 2.3%. The epidemiological situation of hydatidosis is analyzed by comparison with values from other endemic areas. These results suggest the necessity of completing surveys in the whole provincial territory, and the implementation of educational and sanitary measures aimed to controlling this zoonosis.