Angiostrongylus costaricensis life cycle in the intermediate host Sarasinula marginata Semper, 1885 (Mollusca: Soleolifera)

Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a zoonotic parasitic nematode described for the first time in 1971 by Pedro Morera and Rodolfo Céspedes in Costa Rica. This parasite causes an infection known as abdominal angiostrongyliasis, affecting mainly school-aged children and young adults. Infection with A. costaricensis has been associated with a myriad of rodent and mollusk species in the Americas and the Caribbean, as its natural hosts and reservoirs. In this commemorative review, we highlight the extensive research collected through a 50-year journey, which includes ecological, pathological, and molecular studies on A. costaricensis and its implicated disease. We also identify major knowledge gaps in its evolutionary history, the ecological role of imported and invasive mollusk species, and immune response. We propose that the advent of -omics analyses will allow us to gather novel information regarding A. costaricensis biology and infection dynamics, as well as to promote the design of much-needed sensitive and specific diagnostic tools.

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“…Cellular responses against A. costaricensis larval stages occur in the mollusk soon after infection [ 74 , 75 ] (Fig. 4 b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Subsequent experimental infections in the succineid semi-slug Omalonyx spp. have demonstrated that large numbers of hemocytes surrounding L1 larvae starts four hours after infection and weakens after the release of L3 stages [ 73 , 75 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis in the Americas: fifty years since the discovery of a new metastrongylid species, Angiostrongylus costaricensis

et al. 2021

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Angiostrongylus costaricensisinfection in Martinique, Lesser Antilles, from 2000 to 2017

et al. 2018

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Human abdominal angiostrongyliasis (HAA) is a parasitic disease caused by the accidental ingestion of the nematode Angiostrongylus costaricensis in its larval form. Human infection can lead to severe ischemic and inflammatory intestinal lesions, sometimes complicated by life-threatening ileal perforations. Only one case had been reported in Martinique, an Island in the French Antilles, in 1988. We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of patients diagnosed with abdominal angiostrongyliasis at the University Hospital of Martinique between 2000 and 2017. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the incidence and perform a descriptive analysis of the clinical, biological, radiological, and histopathological features of HAA in Martinique. Two confirmed cases and two probable cases were identified in patients aged from 1 to 21 years during the 18-year period, with an estimated incidence of 0.2 cases per year (0.003 case/year/100.000 inhabitants (IC95% = 0.00–0.05)). All patients presented with abdominal pain associated with high blood eosinophilia (median: 7.24 G/L [min 4.25; max 52.28 G/L]). Two developed ileal perforation and were managed by surgery, with diagnostic confirmation based on histopathological findings on surgical specimens. The other two cases were probable, with serum specimens reactive to Angiostrongylus sp. antigen in the absence of surgery. All cases improved without sequelae. The description of this case series highlights the need to increase awareness of this life-threatening disease in the medical community and to facilitate access to specific diagnostic tools in Martinique. Environmental and epidemiological studies are needed to broaden our knowledge of the burden of this disease.

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A Structural Analysis of Host–Parasite Interactions in Achatina fulica (Giant African Snail) Infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Lopes-Torres,

de Oliveira Simões,

Mota

et al. 2023

Pathogens

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Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a nematode parasite that resides in the pulmonary arteries of rodents, serving as its definitive hosts. The life cycle involves several species of non-marine gastropods as intermediate hosts, and the African giant snail Achatina fulica is considered one of the most important around the world. Experimental data concerning A. cantonensis infection in the African giant snail remains notably limited. This helminth causes eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis in humans, representing an emergent zoonosis in Brazil. Understanding the host–parasite relationship through the application of new tools is crucial, given the complex interaction between zoonosis and the intricate mechanisms involving wild/human hosts, parasite adaptation, and dispersion. The objective of this study was to employ SEM as a novel methodology to understand the structural organization of the host tissue, particularly the granuloma formation. This sheds light on the complex balance between A. fulica and A. cantonensis. Nine three-month-old snails were randomly selected and exposed for 24 h to a concentration of 2000 L1/dose of A. cantonensis. A necropsy was performed 37 days after the infection, and the samples were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The histopathological results revealed third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis associated with granulomas distributed throughout the head-foot mass, mantle, and kidney. Scanning electron microscopy of the histological section surface showed that the granuloma is surrounded by a cluster of spherical particles, which are distributed in the region bordering the larvae. This reveal details of the nematode structure, demonstrating how this methodology can enhance our understanding of the role of granulomas in molluscan tissue. The structural characteristics of granuloma formation in A. fulica suggest it as an excellent invertebrate host for A. cantonensis. This relationship appears to provide protection to the parasite against the host’s immune defense system while isolating the snail’s tissue from potential exposure to nematode antigens.

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Angiostrongylus costaricensis life cycle in the intermediate host Sarasinula marginata Semper, 1885 (Mollusca: Soleolifera)

Cited by 3 publications

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Abdominal angiostrongyliasis in the Americas: fifty years since the discovery of a new metastrongylid species, Angiostrongylus costaricensis

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis in the Americas: fifty years since the discovery of a new metastrongylid species, Angiostrongylus costaricensis

Angiostrongylus costaricensisinfection in Martinique, Lesser Antilles, from 2000 to 2017

A Structural Analysis of Host–Parasite Interactions in Achatina fulica (Giant African Snail) Infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis

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