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Cystic hydatidosis/echinococcosis is an important zoonosis caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Hydatidosis is a serious parasitic disease in Uruguay, and in 1991 a new national control program was implemented by the national commission against hydatidosis (CHLCH). In 1991 (before the control program), farm and town dogs were examined for the prevalence of the parasite in Tacuarembó, Uruguay, using fecal samples of farm dogs after an arecoline purgation and samples of small intestine of town dogs obtained by necropsy. The prevalence of E. granulosus was 23 and 4% in farm and town dogs, respectively. In order to evaluate the impact of the control program, two surveys on ovine hydatidosis were carried out in Tacuarembó before and during the national control program. Sheep were examined in 1991–1992 (before the control program) and 1999 (during the control program). Both prevalence and intensity of E. granulosus infection increased with age in both 1991–1992 and 1999. The prevalence of ovine hydatidosis was 41.6 and 8.5% in 1991–1992 and 1999, respectively. The prevalence of fertile cysts in sheep more than 4 years old was 7.3% and 2.3% in 1991–1992 and 1999, respectively. The remarkable decreased prevalence of ovine hydatidosis suggested the successful control program by CHLCH in Uruguay. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This report describes a new species of aspidoderid nematode, Ansiruptodera scapteromi sp. nov., the second species to be reported in the genus Ansiruptodera Skrjabin and Shikhobalova, 1947. The A. scapteromi sp. nov. is the first species of the genus to be recorded from a rodent host. The new species is clearly different from the only other species, A. ansiruipta (Proença, 1937) Skrjabin and Shikhobalova, 1947, in that it possesses short lateral alae that terminate before the midbody; a smaller cephalic extremity; a shorter esophagus, pharynx, tail, and tail appendage; a smaller sucker; and longer spicules. The two species also differ in the numbers and arrangements of caudal papillae. A. scapteromi appears to be a parasite of capture and the water rats seem to have been infected from Edentata in Uruguay.

A helminthological survey of the intestinal parasites in stray dogs was conducted in urban and suburban area of Tacuarembó, Uruguay, during winter time. Eighty stray dogs captured in the city were necropsied. Seventy nine dogs (98.8%) were positive for helminth infection. Seventy seven (96.3%) were parasitized by hookworms. Two species of hookworms were found: Ancylostoma caninum 96.3% and A. braziliense 49.4%. This is the first report of the prevalence of A. braziliense in Uruguay. Considering that incidences of human cutaneous larva migrans caused by the migration of hookworms larvae were restricted mainly to the northern part of Uruguay and that only A. caninum were reported to be prevalent in the southern part, it is supposed that A. braziliense is the primary causative agent of human cutaneous larva migrans in Uruguay.

Serological tests using hydatid cyst fluid (HCF) are useful as a primary screen for detecting asymptomatic infections due to Echinococcus granulosus in human populations. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) performed with whole sheep HCF was used to determine the prevalence of hydatid antibodies in a rural human population in Uruguay. In order to eliminate cross-reactions with sheep proteins in HCF, 1% normal sheep serum was added to each human serum before testing. ELISA seropositives were further tested using the double diffusion test (DD5) and confirmed where possible by ultrasound and X-ray examination. Serum samples were obtained from 420 individuals inhabiting rural areas in the Department of Paysandu (160), Rivera (21) and San José (239). An overall seroprevalence of 1.24% was obtained. Two of 17 seroreactors were subsequently proven to have hydatidosis. These results confirm and extend previous studies indicating an unusually high prevalence of E. granulosus infection in the Uruguayan population.