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The susceptibility and suitability of Omalonyx matheroni as an intermediate host of Angiostrongylus vasorum and the characteristics of larval recovery and development were investigated. Mollusks were infected, and from the 3rd to the 25th day after infection, larvae were recovered from groups of 50 individuals. The first observation of L2 was on the 5th day, and the first observation of L3 was on the 10th day. From the 22nd day on, all larvae were at the L3 stadium. Larval recovery varied from 78.2% to 95.2%. We found larval development to be faster in O. matheroni than in Biomphalaria glabrata. Our findings indicate that this mollusk is highly susceptible to A. vasorum. Infective L3 were orally inoculated into a dog, and the prepatent period was 39 days. This is the first study to focus on O. matheroni as an intermediate host of A. vasorum.

SUMMARYTo evaluate soil contamination by parasites in different developmental stages in public squares used as recreation and leisure areas for children in Belo Horizonte (MG, Brazil), 210 soil samples and 141 canine fecal samples were collected from 42 squares in the city. These samples were analyzed by the Caldwell and Caldwell technique and the Hoffman, Pons, and Janer technique. Of the samples analyzed, 89 (42.4%) soil samples and 104 (73.5%) fecal samples were contaminated with Ancylostoma sp., Toxocara sp., Trichuris sp., or Dipylidium sp. eggs; Giardia sp. cysts; or Isospora sp. oocysts. The commonest parasite was Ancylostoma sp., found in 85% soil and 99% fecal samples, followed by Toxocara sp., found in 43.7% soil and 30.7% fecal samples.

Moluscos são hospedeiros intermediários de Angiotrongylus vasorum, parasito com potencial zoonótico que tem os canídeos como hospedeiro definitivo. Neste trabalho, foram seccionados os tecidos de 180 espécimes de Achatina fulica infectados com 1.000 L1 de A. vasorum, os quais foram submetidos às seguintes técnicas: hidróxido de potássio 1% (grupo I), ácido clorídrico 3% (grupo II), ácido clorídrico e pepsina 1% (grupo III) em banho-maria a 37 °C e Baermann a 42 °C (grupo IV). No primeiro, oitavo e trigésimo dias após infecção (dpi), foram obtidos L1, L2 e L3, e 240 L3 recuperadas do grupo III foram fornecidas a um cão. Os resultados mostraram no grupo I: 59% L1, 7% L2 e 13% L3; no grupo II: 31% L1, 13% L2 e 27% L3, no grupo III: 23% L1, 22% L2 e 30% L3 e no grupo IV: 0,3% L1, 0,02% L2 e 5% L3. Observaram-se larvas vivas no grupo III: 15,5% L1 e 8,22% L3; no grupo II: 9,8% L3 e no grupo IV: 100% L1, L2 e L3. No 56° dpi, encontrou-se L1 nas fezes do cão. Pelas técnicas avaliadas, foram recuperados e identificados todos os estádios de A. vasorum intramolusco, confirmando o potencial de A. fulica como hospedeiro intermediário do nematoide.

Dogs are frequently infected by one or more species of endoparasites, which can lead to secondary infections that cause high morbidity and death. In this context, 2 nematode species are of veterinary importance: Angiostrongylus vasorum, which is a parasite of the pulmonary artery and right ventricle in domestic and wild canids, and Ancylostoma caninum, which is a parasite of the small intestine in felids and domestic and wild canids. We used 20 mongrel dogs that were divided into groups and infected as follows: Group A included 5 uninfected dogs, Group B included 5 dogs infected with A. vasorum, Group C included 5 dogs infected with A. caninum, and Group D included 5 dogs co-infected with A. vasorum and A. caninum. Parasitological and hematological monitoring were performed. The counts of larvae and eggs shed in the feces varied throughout the collection period. Moreover, negativation was not observed in any of the infected groups. The animals in Group C had macrocytic and hypochromic anemia, whereas the animals in Group D had macrocytic and normochromic anemia. Infected dogs also presented with eosinophilia and lymphocytosis. These data from coproparasitological techniques provide an improved assessment of disease severity and a more thorough understanding of parasitism in the host.

Introduction:Angiostrongylus vasorum is a nematode that parasitizes molluscs, dogs, and even man. Methods: The objective was to evaluate the predatory activity of the conidia of two fungal isolates of Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001 and CG722) on first-stage larvae (L 1 ) of A. vasorum in laboratory conditions. Results: At the end of the experiment, there were significant reductions (p<0.01) of 74.5% and 63.2%, on average, in the A. vasorum L 1 recovered in the AC001 and CG722 treatment conditions, respectively. Conclusions: The two isolates of fungi were efficient in the capture and destruction of A. vasorum L 1 .

RESUMO

This note describes the sudden death of a dog by the rupture of the thoracic aorta caused by the presence of Angiostrongylus vasorum. A female mongrel canine with a history of weight loss and exhaustion died two hours after clinical examination. At necropsy, performed one hour after death, showed the presence of clotted blood in the thoracic cavity. Haemothorax was diagnosed. The thoracic aorta wall was thin, congested and an abnormal hole in the wall was detected approximately 0.5 cm from the entrance to the diaphragm. From clotted blood collected from the thoracic cavity, 224 first stage larvae (L1) and 15 adults of Angiostrongylus vasorum were recovered alive. Also, from a blood clot found in the aorta, four adult females and 47 L1 larvae were recovered alive. Possibly, this parasite was responsible for the aortic rupture and death of the animal.