Presence and persistence of intestinal parasites in canine fecal material collected from the environment in the Province of Chubut, Argentine Patagonia.

We investigated the presence of intestinal parasites in canine feces collected from public squares in Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina (45 degrees S, 68 degrees W) and determined the persistence of Echinococcus granulosus eggs in those droppings under natural environmental conditions in that region. In the first experiment, we analyzed 163 fecal samples collected from urban squares during 8 months time and found parasitic elements in 46.6%. The presence of parasites was independent of the condition of the feces (fresh or dried; P>0.05). Parasites potentially pathogenic in man were present, such as Toxocara species (spp.), Taenia spp./Echinococcus spp., Uncinarias spp., and Entamoeba spp. In the second experiment, we analyzed two canine fecal samples contaminated with E. granulosus eggs, deposited for 41 months within the natural environment. These parasitic elements persisted during the entire study as attested by light microscopy and the ELISA coproantigen test. We propose the study of the presence of intestinal parasites in canine feces within the environment as a general strategy for identifying and monitoring areas of risk for canine-related zoonoses since we were able to demonstrate the persistence of E. granulosus eggs in deposited canine feces for over 3 years within the area studied.