Gastropods as intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus spp. in the Americas: bioecological characteristics and geographical distribution

Valente, Romina; Robles, María del Rosario; Díaz, Julia Inés

doi:10.1590/0074-02760200236

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Angiostrongylus cantonensis is known to be relatively unspecific in terms of its hosts ( 3 , 25 , 53 ). Valente et al ( 19 ) also recorded other Angiostrongylus species in association with an ample variety of terrestrial mollusks, and identified A. cantonensis in 28 gastropod species, including 16 terrestrial snails, one freshwater snail (of the genus Pomacea ), and 11 terrestrial slugs. Even so, A. fulica is by far the most prominent host, with the most widespread distribution of cases of Angiostrongylus infection in the Americas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of the nematodes of the superfamily Metastrongyloidea (order Strongylida) use mollusks as intermediate hosts ( 5 , 15 ). This superfamily includes a number of medically-important species that affect the health of humans and animals, in particular Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935), which is the etiological agent of Eosinophilic Meningitis (EM), an emergent zoonosis in Brazil ( 7 , 16 – 19 ). This nematode, which is endemic to Southeast Asia and the adjacent Pacific islands, was first recorded in Brazil in 2007, when it was found parasitizing the giant African land snail Achatina ( Lissachatina ) fulica Bowdich, 1822, in an epidemiological investigation of the first official death caused by this zoonosis in Brazil, recorded in the town of Cariacica, in the southeastern state of Espírito Santo ( 20 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to A. fulica , a number of different mollusks have been found to be naturally infected by A. cantonensis , both in Brazil and other New World countries ( 18 , 19 , 25 , 29 – 31 ). The congeneric species Angiostrongylus costaricensis Morera and Céspedes, 1971, has been recorded from the southern United States southward as far as northern Argentina, where it parasitizes both wild and synanthropic rodents, as well as a number of different terrestrial mollusks, in particular the slugs of the family Veronicellidae ( 13 , 32 – 34 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parasitism of terrestrial gastropods by medically-important nematodes in Brazil

Thiengo

Ramos-de-Souza²,

Silva³

et al. 2022

Front. Vet. Sci.

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An ample variety of parasitic associations are found between mollusks and nematodes, in which the mollusks may act as intermediate, paratenic or definitive hosts. Some free-living nematodes, in particular those of the order Rhabditida, are also found frequently in terrestrial mollusks. The present study reviews the results of the parasitological testing on samples of terrestrial mollusks conducted at the Brazilian National Reference Laboratory for Schistosomiasis and Malacology between 2008 and 2021. The samples were supplied primarily by the public health authorities from the different regions of Brazil, but also by research institutions and general population. The mollusks were processed individually and the obtained larvae were identified from their morphology and, whenever necessary, by molecular analysis. A total of 1,919 service orders were registered during the period, including 19,758 mollusk specimens collected from 23 of the 26 Brazilian states, as well as the Federal District, totalizing 145 municipalities. There was a marked predominance of the synanthropic species that are widely distributed in Brazil—Achatina fulica (87.08%), Bulimulus tenuissimus (4.18%), Bradybaena similaris (2.06%), and Sarasinula linguaeformis (1.50%). Of the 16,750 terrestrial mollusks examined, nematodes were recorded in 1,308 service orders, with the predominance of the superfamily Metastrongyloidea, in 616 service orders. They included Angiostrongylus cantonensis, rat lungworm, which was found in 252 samples, and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in 145 samples. Free-living nematodes were found in 952 samples, Ancylostoma caninum and Cruzia tentaculata (previously identified as Strongyluris sp.) in one and 275 samples, respectively, and other parasites in 210 samples (not identified). The results highlight the diversity of the associations between nematodes and terrestrial mollusks in Brazil, in particular invasive and synanthropic species, with emphasis on the giant African land snail, Achatina fulica. They demonstrate the prominent role of this species of mollusk in the transmission of medically-important nematodes, which affect the health of both humans and animals, in particular eosinophilic meningitis, which is caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis. This reinforces the need for more studies, and justify the growing demand for information as well as parasitological diagnosis of this mollusk, given its wide distribution in Brazil and its impact as an urban pest.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Parasitism of terrestrial gastropods by medically-important nematodes in Brazil

Thiengo

Ramos-de-Souza²,

Silva³

et al. 2022

Front. Vet. Sci.

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“…The examination of cysts was also used in some cases (Oliveira & Santos, 2018), although this may not be adequate for the identification of species, given that some species of different genera may present similar characteristics in the intermediate host. According to many authors such as Valente et al (2020), the morphological characteristics of the larvae of the genus Angiostrongylus are insufficient for the reliable identification of species. Molecular techniques were used in some studies to identify the nematode species found in A. fulica , using different markers, such as cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (Barbosa et al, 2020), internal transcribed spacer 1, (Rollins et al, 2021), internal transcribed spacer 2 (Thiengo et al, 2010) and cytochrome B (Peng et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The invasive giant African land snail,Achatina fulica(Gastropoda: Pulmonata): global geographical distribution of this species as host of nematodes of medical and veterinary importance

et al. 2022

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The giant African land snail, Achatina fulica, is an important invasive species in many countries, where it causes losses in biodiversity and agriculture, as well as impacting the health of both humans and animals, as the intermediate host of medically important nematodes. The present study is based on a comprehensive review of the literature on the nematodes that have been found in association with A. fulica, worldwide. We searched a number of different databases and used the findings to investigate the methods used to extract and identify the nematodes, their larval stages, and environment and collecting procedures of the infected molluscs. Between 1965 and 2021, 11 nematode species were recorded in association with A. fulica in 21 countries. Most of the studies recorded associations between A. fulica and Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which causes cerebral angiostrongyliasis in humans and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, which provokes pneumonia in felines. The nematodes were extracted primarily by artificial digestion with hydrochloric acid or pepsin, and identified based on their morphology or through experimental infection to obtain the adult. In most cases, the nematodes were at larval stage L3, and the infected A. fulica were collected from anthropogenic environments. The results demonstrate the importance of A. fulica as a host of nematodes of medical and veterinary importance, as well the contribution of anthropogenic environments to the occurrence of the parasites, and give information about the different methods used to collect and identify the nematodes found associated with this species.

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“…The global distribution, by country, of combined reported presence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis and cases of human or animal neuroangiostrongyliasis (red circles), with cases in returning travelers to nonendemic areas distinguished (blue circles). 2,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] If part of a country is distant from the main part of the country-Guam, Saipan, Hawaii, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico (United States); Ryukyu and Ogasawara Islands (Japan); New Caledonia, Tahiti, Mayotte, R eunion, Guadeloupe, and Martinique (France); and Canary Islands and Mallorca (Spain)-dots are placed on those locations in addition to the main part of country (if also present there). For most countries/territories, a single dot has been placed roughly where the greatest concentration of records occurs.…”

Section: Infection Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroangiostrongyliasis: Global Spread of an Emerging Tropical Disease

Cowie

Ansdell

Dunavan

et al. 2022

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Neuroangiostrongyliasis (NAS) is an emerging parasitic disease caused by the neurotropic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Since it was first discovered, in rats in southern China in the 1930s, this tropical to subtropical parasite has spread to much of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands (including Hawaii), Australia, Japan, South America, the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, Africa, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands. The parasite completes its natural life cycle in snails and slugs (intermediate hosts), and rats (definitive hosts). Humans become accidental hosts after ingesting infective third-stage larvae contained within uncooked or undercooked intermediate or paratenic hosts, an event that sometimes results in NAS, also known as rat lungworm disease. Although A. cantonensis larvae cannot complete their life cycle in humans, their migration into the brain and spinal cord combined with a powerful inflammatory reaction often leads to eosinophilic meningitis and can, in rare instances, lead to coma, paralysis, and death or, in other cases, chronic, disabling neurologic sequelae. Symptoms of NAS are diverse, which often makes it difficult to diagnose. Treatment may include administration of analgesics, corticosteroids, anthelminthics, and repeat lumbar punctures to reduce intracranial pressure. Unfortunately, few medical providers, even in endemic areas, are familiar with A. cantonensis or its epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment. As the parasite continues to spread and NAS affects more people, medical practitioners, as well as the general public, must become more aware of this emerging zoonosis and the potentially devastating harm it can cause.

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Gastropods as intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus spp. in the Americas: bioecological characteristics and geographical distribution

Cited by 14 publications

References 36 publications

Parasitism of terrestrial gastropods by medically-important nematodes in Brazil

Parasitism of terrestrial gastropods by medically-important nematodes in Brazil

The invasive giant African land snail,Achatina fulica(Gastropoda: Pulmonata): global geographical distribution of this species as host of nematodes of medical and veterinary importance

Neuroangiostrongyliasis: Global Spread of an Emerging Tropical Disease

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