Advances in Knowledge of Wild Toxocariasis in Patagonia (Argentina): Toxocara canis

Abstract

Seventeen specimens of carnivores of the families Felidae (Puma concolor and Leopardus geoffroyi) and Canidae (Lycalopex culpaeus) were collected in different localities of Nahuel Huapi National Park (Argentina) from August 2005 to May 2018. The specimens were processed by necropsy, and ascaridid parasites were obtained only from L. culpaeus. Morphological analysis indicates all the specimens belong to Toxocara canis, and specific identification was confirmed by PCR procedure. This study represents the first molecular identification of T. canis from Andean foxes in Argentina, and provides information on the spatial distribution of T. canis in wild environments in Patagonia.