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This epidemiological study was conducted in different regions of Costa Rica to determine the prevalence of the developmental stages of potential zoonotic intestinal helminths of dogs and cats in public places. Samples were collected within three main climate zones including rural and urban areas during both the rainy and the dry season. Faecal and environmental samples were taken from 69 parks and beaches. Of the faecal samples 3% contained Toxascaris spp. eggs, 7% Toxocara spp. eggs and 55% contained ancylostomidae eggs. Of the soil samples, 2% contained ancylostomidae eggs and 0.8% contained ascarid eggs. Significant differences in the presence of parasites were found in faecal samples of dry, moist and wet climate zones and between the dry and rainy seasons. Significant differences in the presence of eggs and larvae were also found in the grass samples in the dry, the moist and the wet climate zones and between the different seasons. No significant differences were found between rural and urban areas.

Differential molecular studies were performed by sodium dodecyle sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis--SDS-PAGE--between somatic antigen of Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina, adults and larvae, recovered from dogs. SDS-PAGE of both adults somatic antigen showed two closely similar bands (90.00, 91.95 KDa and 69.25-70.56 KDa). Each parasite had characteristic bands clustered in different molecular weights. While for their larval antigen, T. canis showed a very different antigenic profile when analysed in comparison to T. leonina antigen except at one band (66.85-66.89 KDa). The Western blot analysis showed four prominent bands represented immunoreaction between the separated somatic antigen of T. canis adults and experimentally immunized rabbit with the corresponding parasite (125.37, 117.73, 90.00 and 69.25 KDa). While separated antigen of T. leonina adults immune reacted with the corresponding hyperimmune rabbit sera at 119.04, 91.95 and 70.56 KDa. The Western blot showed cross reactive immune bands between T. canis and T. leonina adults somatic antigen at two bands (90.00, 91.95 KDa and 69.25-70.56 KDa). The polypeptide bands reacted at 125.37 KDa and 117.73 KDa can be used as specific finger print for T. canis adults while that at 119.04 KDa was specific for T. leonina adult worm.

In a series of controlled trials involving 59 naturally infected greyhounds, fenbendazole at a dose rate of 50 mg/kg/day for three consecutive days reduced the overall numbers of third and fourth stage Toxocara canis by 94.0 per cent and third stage, fourth stage and immature adult stages of Toxascaris leonina by 92.4 per cent. In contrast, piperazine at 100 mg/kg had little or no useful effect against the larval stages of T canis and T leonina and variable efficacy against immature adult T leonina. Fenbendazole was also 100 per cent effective against immature Trichuris vulpis. In a separate controlled experiment, puppies in three litters exposed to reinfection with T canis were treated with fenbendazole at two weeks old and again only after their mean faecal egg counts exceeded 200 epg. Between one and three doses were required to suppress the output of eggs during the puppies' first 12 weeks of life.

The incidence of roundworm infections was determined by examination of the faeces in a total number of 544 adult dogs in the Netherlands during the period from 1972 to 1977. The incidence of roundworm infections varied from 13 to 34 per cent (average 22.9 per cent) during this period, from 2 to 31 per cent (average 14.5 per cent) for Toxocara canis infections, from 8 to 15 per cent (average 11.2 per cent) for Toxascaris leonina infections and from 0 to 11 per cent (average 2.8 per cent) for combined T. canis and T. leonina infections.