The cystic echinococcosis, caused by Echinococcus granulosus, is endemic in southern Brazil, especially in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS). Recent advances in imaging technology and in immunological tests provide powerful and non-invasive tools for its diagnosis based on the identification of cysts and detection of antibodies. We analyzed the serological profile of the genus Echinococcus by immunoblot in sera from patients from southern of Brazil who had been referred to the National reference service in hydatid disease between January 2010 and July 2013. Among 160 sera samples, 16 were reactive for at least one of the proteins (10, 18, 28, and 40 kDa), indicating that the pattern of reactivity can vary among the patients.

Fascioliasis is an infection posing a substantial threat to public health, besides causing economic impacts due to its increasing prevalence in recent years. It is considered endemic in Peru and Bolivia and in Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Studies conducted with specimens of Fasciola hepatica from different geographic regions have shown that the characteristics of the adult worms and eggs vary according to host's distribution. In this study, we evaluated whether these variations also occur in specimens obtained from cattle bred in Brazil (Cordeiro in Rio de Janeiro state and Lavras in Minas Gerais) and Argentina (Catamarca and Salta provinces), using light microscopy and light microscopy with differential interference contrast. The results demonstrated differences in the specimens from each locale, mainly in the distribution and quantity of spines in the tegument. The int...