Entre novembro de 2001 e dezembro de 2002, 600 amostras de fezes de cão foram coletadas nas principais praças e parques públicos de 13 cidades do Chile, localizadas nas regiões norte ao estremo sul da nação. No laboratório, as amostras foram processadas mediante os métodos de sedimentação por centrifugação e de Harada-Mori. Ovos de Toxocara canis foram encontrados em 12 cidades em freqüências que variaram entre 1,9 a 12,5% por cidade, com média de 5,2%. Sete por cento das amostras apresentaram ovos e 9,5% larvas rabditóides ou filarióides de Ancylostomatidae. Strongyloides stercoralis não foi encontrado nas amostras estudadas. Praças e parques públicos do Chile apresentam riscos potenciais para aquisição de larva migrans visceral, ocular ou cutânea.

Between November 2001 and December 2002, 600 dog fecal samples were collected in main squares and public parks of 13 cities in Chile, from the extreme north to the extreme south of the country. The samples were processed in the laboratory by centrifugal sedimentation and the Harada-Mori methods. T. canis eggs were found in 12 cities. Detection rates ranged from 1.9 to 12.5% with an average of 5.2%. Seven percent of the samples had eggs and 9.5% had rhabditoid and/or filariform larvae of Ancylostomatidae. Strongyloides stercoralis were not found. Squares and public parks in Chile pose a potential risk of exposure to visceral, ocular, and/or cutaneous larva migrans syndromes.

Entre novembro de 2001 e dezembro de 2002, 600 amostras de fezes de cão foram coletadas nas principais praças e parques públicos de 13 cidades do Chile, localizadas nas regiões norte ao estremo sul da nação. No laboratório, as amostras foram processadas mediante os métodos de sedimentação por centrifugação e de Harada-Mori. Ovos de Toxocara canis foram encontrados em 12 cidades em freqüências que variaram entre 1,9 a 12,5% por cidade, com média de 5,2%. Sete por cento das amostras apresentaram ovos e 9,5% larvas rabditóides ou filarióides de Ancylostomatidae. Strongyloides stercoralis não foi encontrado nas amostras estudadas. Praças e parques públicos do Chile apresentam riscos potenciais para aquisição de larva migrans visceral, ocular ou cutânea.

Between November 2001 and December 2002, 600 dog fecal samples were collected in main squares and public parks of 13 cities in Chile, from the extreme north to the extreme south of the country. The samples were processed in the laboratory by centrifugal sedimentation and the Harada-Mori methods. T. canis eggs were found in 12 cities. Detection rates ranged from 1.9 to 12.5% with an average of 5.2%. Seven percent of the samples had eggs and 9.5% had rhabditoid and/or filariform larvae of Ancylostomatidae. Strongyloides stercoralis were not found. Squares and public parks in Chile pose a potential risk of exposure to visceral, ocular, and/or cutaneous larva migrans syndromes.

In may 2003 an epidemiologic-parasitological survey was carried out in 206 pre-school and school-children from San Vicente de Lo Arcaya School in Colina, a semi-rural county of the Santiago Province in the Metropolitan Region of Chile.The most frequent parasitic elements were: Blastocystis hominis - in men and women respectively - 38.8% and 44.4%, Giardia intestinalis with 9.5% and 16.2% and Enterobius vermicularis with 12.9% and 10.0%. It is notewortly that the infected children were asymptomatic Cryptosporidium parvum was not observed and an ELISA test for Strongyloides stercoralis infections was positive in one children.This study confirms that intestinal parasitic infections in children remain with a high prevalence in Chile.

En mayo de 2003 se efectuó una encuesta epidemio-parasitológica en pre-escolares y escolares de la Escuela San Vicente de Lo Arcaya de Colina, comuna semirural de la Provincia de Santiago ubicada en la Región Metropolitana de Chile. Hay que destacar que los niños estudiados eran asintomáticos. Los elementos parasitarios más frecuentemente encontrados fueron: Blastocystis hominis - en hombre y mujeres respectivamente - 38,8% y 44,4%, Giardia intestinalis con 9,5% y 16,2% y Enterobius vermicularis con 12,9% y 10,0%. Cryptosporidium parvum no fue encontrado y ELISA para Strongyloides stercoralis resultó positiva en un niño.

Congenital Chagas disease (CChD) has been reported in different countries, mostly in Latin America. In 1987 a fatal case of CChD of second generation (CChDSG) was published. Within a period of six months - 1989-1990 - two cases of CChDSG were diagnosed and studied in the city of Santiago. Two premature newborns, sons of two sisters, with moderate liver and spleen enlargement, were found to have positive serology for Chagas disease and xenodiagnoses. The mothers, urban residents all their lives, without antecedents of triatomine bugs contact or blood transfusions, showed positive serology and xenodiagnoses. Their mother (grandmother of the infants), lived 20 years in a Northern rural Chagas disease endemic locality, in a triatomine infested house. Afterwards, she moved to Santiago, where she married and has resided up to now. Serology and xenodiagnoses were also positive. All the Trypanosoma cruzi infected individuals were successfully treated with nifurtimox.

La enfermedad de Chagas congénita ha sido reportada en diferentes países, en su gran mayoría de Latinoamérica. En 1987 un caso fatal de enfermedad de Chagas congénita de segunda generación fue publicado. En 1989-1990 dos casos de enfermedad de Chagas congénita de segunda generación fueron diagnosticados y estudiados en la ciudad de Santiago. Dos recién nacidos prematuros, hijos de dos hermanas, con moderado aumento del hígado y del bazo, presentaron serología para enfermedad de Chagas y xenodiagnósticos positivos. Las madres, residentes urbanas toda su vida, sin antecedentes de contacto con triatominos ni transfusiones de sangre presentaron serología y xenodiagnósticos positivos. La madre de ellas (abuela de los niños) nació y vivió 20 años en una localidad rural de endemia chagásica, en una casa infestada con triatominos. Posteriormente, se trasladó a vivir a Santiago, donde se casó y ha residido hasta el presente; su serología y xenodiagnóstico fueron positivos. Todas las personas infectadas con Trypanosoma cruzi fueron tratadas exitosamente con nifurtimox.

In an attempt to amplify the perspective of allusions made to entomological and parasitological situations in the 20th century Latin American narrative, a total of 25 books written by Jorge Amado (1912-2001), Miguel Angel Asturias (1899-1974), Albert Camus (1913-1960), Camilo José Cela (1916), Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), Julio Cortazar (1914-1984), Fedor Dostoievski (1821-1881), Jorge Edwards (1931), William Faulkner (1897-1962), Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880), Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1928), Herman Hesse (1877-1962), Victor Hugo (1802-1885), Franz Kafka (1883-1924), Patricio Manns (1937), Benito Perez Galdos (1843-1920), Luigi Pirandello (1867-1936), Marcel Proust (1871-1922), Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645), Ernesto Sabato (1911), Jose Saramago (1922), Alexander Soljenitsin (1918) and Leon Tolstoy (1828-1910) has been reviewed. We have selectively extracted paragraphs and fragments from them, in which in a direct or metaphoric form varied entomological or parasitological situations are quoted, by thematic affinity, in an ordered presentation.

In order to stablish the current prevalence by eggs of Toxocara canis, 110 squares of five zones of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago city were examined by a flotation in saturated zinc solution modified method. Samples were taken from different kinds of soil in the four seasons of the year and they were preserved under anaerobic conditions over 2 years. 18,2% of samples resulted positive to Toxocara canis eggs and 26.4% were positive to nematodes larvae. No viable eggs were found. Western zone is the most contaminated of the city and autumn is the season in which we obtained higher recovery of eggs. Silty clay sample soil seems to be better than sandy soils on maintenance of studied eggs.

An indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT) and an ELISA test for trichinosis using as antigen a larvae soluble fraction from Trichinella spiralis was carried out for the detection of IgG, IgM and IgA specific antibodies in 113 serum samples from patients confirmed or suspected to have trichinosis by strong clinical and epidemiological evidences (Group I). The same tests were also performed on 110 serum samples corresponding to patients without strong evidences of having trichinosis (Group II). In Group I the corresponding sensitivities for RHAI, ELISA IgG, ELISA IgM, ELISA IgA were: 82.3-85.8-88.5 and 88.5% respectively. Seventeen patients were tested again a week after the first analysis (10 of them corresponded to negative ones), increasing the positivity: 23.5-100.0;35.3-100.0;41.2-100.0 and 41.2-100.0% for RHAI, ELISA IgG, ELISA IgM and ELISA IgA, respectively. Other two patients were followed-up for 5 years. IHAT and ELISA IgG remained positive, whereas ELISA IgM and ELISA IgA were constantly negative betweeen 17 and 32 months in one case, and between 48 and 60 months in the other (this last one had presented a severe clinic disease). In the group II, four patients were positive with IHAT, however only one for ELISA IgA, the latter also presented ELISA IgM near the cut off. The use of ELISA IgG, ELSIA IgM and ELISA IgA in the immunodiagnosis of trichinosis is discussed.

Most of cases of visceral larva migrans syndrome are caused by Toxocara canis larvae. Man acquires the infection by accidental ingestion of ripe eggs of the helminth. In order to find out the frequency of the presence of Toxocara sp. eggs in dog fecal specimens from public places of Santiago city in 1999 july-september a study was carried out in 84 squares and 12 parks from 32 counties. Three fecal samples were collected in each of these places, making a total of 288. Each sample was processed according to a modified Telemann method and three smears of each were microcopically examined. Toxocara sp. eggs were found in 39 (13.5%) fecal specimens. In 28/84 (33.3%) squares and in 8/12 (66.7%) parks these eggs were detected. These results make necessary the control of dogs and cats populations with the aim of reduce the presence of animals without responsible owners. It should be advisable to prevent dogs and cats defecation in public areas grounds, trying to exclude these animals from recreation areas.

In the present reviev of twelve pieces produced by distinguished 20th century Latin American writers Jorge Luis Borges from Argentina, Jorge Amado and João Ubaldo Ribeiro from Brazil, José Donoso from Chile, Gabriel García Márquez from Colombia, Alejo Carpentier from Cuba, Miguel Angel Asturias from Guatemala, Octavio Paz from Mexico, Mario Vargas Llosa from Perú, Horacio Quiroga and Mario Benedetti from Uruguay and Arturo Uslar-Pietri from Venezuela paragraphs or parts of paragraphs in which parasitological or entomological situations of the most varied hues are referred to or described, have been extracted in a selective form. Sometimes in these descriptions appear, local or regional expressions, without ignoring colorful folkloric representations. For a easier interpretation these or part of these paragraph sentences have been arranged by thematic similarities. In a varied and kaleidoscopic vision, it will be possible to find protozooses (malaria, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, amibiasis), helminthiases (ascariasis, hydatidosis, trichinosis, schistosomiasis, cysticercosis, onchocerciasis), parasitoses produced by arthropods (pediculosis, scabies, tungiasis, myiasis), passing progressivelly to hemaphagous arthropods (mosquitoes, gnats, horse flies, bedbugs, ticks), venomous arthropods (Latrodectus spiders, scorpions, wasps, bees), mechanical vectors (flies and cockroaches), culminating with a conjuction of bucolic arthropods (butterflies, crickets, grasshoppers cicadas, ants, centipedes, beetles, glowworms, dragonflies).

A clinical case of Phthirus pubis infestation of the eyelids in an eight -year-old boy is presented. He complained of a bilateral eyelids inflammation for the last two weeks which had not healed with a daily application of a collyrium. Physical examination showed the presence of small dark spheres, of approximately 1 mm, attached to the proximal extreme of the eyelashes. A microscopical examination of these elements permitted to identify adults and eggas of P. pubis. Neither insects nor eggs were found in the scalp of the patient. Treatment consisted in the extraction of the parasite elements by means of a fine forceps after the application of liquid vaseline in the eyelashes. A total of 23 adult insects and 32 eggs was removed. The boy proceeded from a boarding school, - where none of the other 27 children was found infested- and stayed there from Monday to Friday, going home for week ends. It was impossible to contact the mother, the most probable source the patient infestation, for epidemiological and prophylactical purposes.

Evaluation of desinsectation programs carried out in the two Health Services from the V Region, was undertaken by comparing serologic prevalences of T. cruzi in age groups exposed to the risk of infection in rural areas during the antivectorial campaign activities. (1982 vs 1995). Thus, were studied 2,193 blood samples from children under 10 years of age, proceeding rfrom six chagasic endemic provinces in which antitriatomic domiciliary insecticide sprayings had been performed. Indirect hemagglutination and ELISA tests were carried out to each of the blood samples. A total de 42 (1.9%) children resulted positive. As in five counties no positive case were detected in the last five years it is possible to assume that vector trasmission of T. cruzi should have been interrupted in them. When comparing prevalences existing in 1982 with the present ones, it is possible to observe a 63.5% of reduction of transmission in the V Region, been this reduction higher in the Aconcagua Health Service with 79.6% and lower in the Viña del Mar - Quillota Health Service with 55.6%. According to these results, comparison of prevalence of T. cruzi infection in children less than 10-year-old in diverse periods, allows evaluate the vectorial control of Triatoma infestans programs

Triatoma infestans nymphs have shown a good sensitivity for detecting Trypanosoma cruzi in the blood stream of infected hosts when are used in the xenodiagnosis (XD). This method, with its natural limitations, using seven nymphs III of T. infestans, has been routinely utilized with satisfactory yield. With the aim of an eventual improving of the yiel of XD (with 7 nymphs), two series of 54 XD boxes each, containing a total of 378 nymphs III and 378 nymphs IV respectively, were applied - one of each during three consecutive days - to nine chronic chagasic patients. Each of the nymphs was weighted before and after the application of the boxes, and the intestinal content of them was examined 30 , 60 and 90 days later. The main comparative results obtained with nymphs III and IV of T. infestans were: blood ingestion 40 versus 107 mg (2.7 higher), positivity of insects 35.8% versus 50.6% (15.8% higher), positivity of XD boxes (7 nymphs each)46.3% versus 55.6% (9.3% higher), and mortality rates 28,6% versus 12.2% (16.4% lower). All these results demonstrate that nymphs IV of T. infestans, because their higher capacity of ingesting blood and higher tolerance to examination manipulations, are more suitable for been used in XD.

Chile is located in the southwestern border of South America. The country is 4,329 km long and 96-342 wide. From north to south it is divided into five marked different biogeographical zones: deserts, steppes, bushes, forests (cattle raising) and austral (sheep raising). Population (June1999) 15,017,760 (14.6% rural). Human hydatidosis is endemic in Chile. According to Ministry of Health information about 320 cases are registered each year. In order to find out the likely prevalence of human hydatidosis in Chile,a series of serosurveys was carried out in 1988-1997 throughout the total country. By using the indirect hemagglutination reaction and ELISA for hydatidosis (tests with good sensibility and specificity) 60,790 unselected apparently healthy persons: 41,399 from urban areas (16,428 blood donors, from 13,894 delivering mothers and 11,077 middle grade school children) and 19,361 from rural areas - from randomly selected family groupings-were studied. A total individuals 82 (136/100,000) resulted positive: 36 (87/100,000) urban and 46 (241/100,000) rural, being the prevalence higher in rural areas, particularly in the southern austral zone (mean 1068/100,00). These figures agree with those observed in clinical epidemiological studies. In conformity with the present results, in the whole country 17,002 individuals should have hydatidosis: 10,318 urban and 6,784 rural. All these possible infected people, not necessarily should present pathology in the future, as it has been observed in autopsies from unselected individuals, performed at the Medico-Legal Service in Santiago, in whom 71.3% of diagnosed hydatosis with hydatid cysts in many different locations, was an autopsy finding

In Chile swine trichinosis has presented a progressive decreasing in the last two decades of XX century. T. Spiralis pig infection descended from an average of 0.683 per 1000 in 1980-1984 to 0.315 in 1985-1989 andto 0.115 in 1990-1996. In the particular case of Metropolitan Region this decreasing has been more marked: from an average of 0.058 per 1000 in 1990-1994to 0.003 in 1995-1999. Between the end of June 1999 and middle January 2000 in MetropolitanRegion abattoirs T. spiralis was detected in 15 (4.9%) out of 306 swine from two pigsties located in El Monte (E.M.) and Padre Hurtado (P.H.) 45 and 30 km south-west from Santiago. In the same period another four pigs from the same premises were found infected in abattoirs of other regions. During inspection visits it was stated that both pig farms had deficient sanitary conditions. Phototrichinoscopy was positive in three out of five Rattus norvegicus collected in E.M. In pigsty PH the examination of diaphragm samples of 25 dogs and 17 cats resulted negative. In the premises originating T. spirali infected swine the Metropolitan Environmetal Health Service Abattoirs Progam carries out an epidemiological vigilance consisting in the follow-up of animls destined for slaughteringin order to initiate prophylactic actions oriented to eliminate eventual sources of trichinosis infection for human and rearing pigs