A survey of Angiostrongylus species in definitive hosts in Queensland

BackgroundAngiostrongylus mackerrasae is a metastrongyloid nematode endemic to Australia, where it infects the native bush rat, Rattus fuscipes. This lungworm has an identical life cycle to that of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a leading cause of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. The ability of A. mackerrasae to infect non-rodent hosts, specifically the black flying fox, raises concerns as to its zoonotic potential. To date, data on the taxonomy, epidemiology and population genetics of A. mackerrasae are unknown. Here, we describe the mitochondrial (mt) genome of A. mackerrasae with the aim of starting to address these knowledge gaps.MethodsThe complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of A. mackerrasae was amplified from a single morphologically identified adult worm, by long-PCR in two overlapping amplicons (8 kb and 10 kb). The amplicons were sequenced using the MiSeq Illumina platform and annotated using an in-house pipeline. Amino acid sequences inferred from individual protein coding genes of the mt genomes were concatenated and then subjected to phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian inference.ResultsThe mt genome of A. mackerrasae is 13,640 bp in size and contains 12 protein coding genes (cox1-3, nad1-6, nad4L, atp6 and cob), and two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes.ConclusionsThe mt genome of A. mackerrasae has similar characteristics to those of other Angiostrongylus species. Sequence comparisons reveal that A. mackerrasae is closely related to A. cantonensis and the two sibling species may have recently diverged compared with all other species in the genus with a highly specific host selection. This mt genome will provide a source of genetic markers for explorations of the epidemiology, biology and population genetics of A. mackerrasae.

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“…A recent survey of Rattus spp. in northern Queensland was also unable to show the presence of the parasite in tropical Queensland [ 29 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mitochondrial genome of Angiostrongylus mackerrasae as a basis for molecular, epidemiological and population genetic studies

et al. 2015

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Public education is necessary in areas of Australia that have a high prevalence of A. cantonensis parasite in native and introduced rats, such as in Southeast Queensland and NSW. 16,27,28 Emphasis should also be placed on travellers heading to endemic areas. Public education measures should include recommendations to only ingest adequately cooked intermediate hosts, such as snails, slugs, frogs, shrimps and land crabs, to eradicate molluscan hosts near houses and vegetable gardens; not to handle molluscs; to wash hands after gardening; and not to eat unwashed vegetables.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Two cases of neuroangiostrongyliasis: A rare disease because rarely considered or rarely diagnosed?

Berkhout

Prociv²,

Herbert

et al. 2019

J Paediatrics Child Health

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Aim The rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, is well established in eastern Australia, where it is the almost exclusive cause of human eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EME). While neuroangiostrongyliasis can result in severe morbidity or death, its diagnosis requires a high index of clinical suspicion among medical practitioners. Prevention requires a high level of public awareness. Methods We report two cases of EME in children from Queensland and summarise all reported Australian cases from the literature. We discuss the pathogenesis of neuroangiostrongyliasis, with particular reference to the timing of prophylaxis and treatment. Results A 5‐year‐old girl developed severe headache, eosinophilic meningitis and abnormal neuroimaging following a holiday to Bali. A 10‐year‐old boy with Rubinstein‐Taybi syndrome, marked developmental delay and pica developed EME following ingestion of a snail, resulting in long‐term morbidity. From 1971 to 2018, 28 Australian cases have been reported, with acquisition restricted to Southeast Queensland and New South Wales. Ages ranged from 10 months to 45 years; most were male and most likely acquired infection from consuming unwashed lettuce or vegetables. The mortality rate was 18%; most fatalities occurred in children <1 year old. Long‐term neurological deficit was reported in 14% of cases and a full recovery in 57% of cases. Conclusions Heightened medical and public awareness of the parasite is required to prevent infection and subsequent disease. A better understanding of the efficacy of prophylactic anthelmintic following ingestion or handling of molluscs and further studies of epidemiology of this parasite will inform and facilitate public health recommendations.

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“…References to morphological identification keys for the genus or species were given in twelve (52.2%) papers (Yokota et al 1991 ; Kataranovski et al 2010 ; Milazzo et al 2010 ; Kataranovski et al 2011 ; Rothenburger et al 2014a ; Rothenburger et al 2014b ; Aghazadeh et al 2015b ; McGarry et al 2015 ; Franssen et al 2016 ; Bunkowska-Gawlik et al 2017 ; Desvars-Larrive et al 2017 ; Rothenburger et al 2019 ). Drawings and photographs showing typical morphological features of the worms were provided in one (4.3%) (Yokota et al 1991 ) and four (17.4%) (Kataranovski et al 2010 ; Rothenburger et al 2014b ; Aghazadeh et al 2015b ; Franssen et al 2016 ) papers, respectively. We did not consider histological photographs as suitable for morphological identification as they do not show the typical structures to allow species recognition.…”

Section: Methods To Investigate the Helminths Of Urban Ratsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Angiostrongylus cantonensis was retrieved through the examination of lungs and pulmonary vasculature under a stereo microscope. Identification was confirmed through the observation of male worms under a light microscope (Aghazadeh et al 2015b ).…”

Section: Methods To Investigate the Helminths Of Urban Ratsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Helminths of urban rats in developed countries: a systematic review to identify research gaps

Gliga

Pisanu²,

Walzer

et al. 2020

Parasitol Res

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Although black ( Rattus rattus) and brown ( Rattus norvegicus ) rats are among the most widespread synanthropic wild rodents, there is a surprising scarcity of knowledge about their ecology in the urban ecosystem. In particular, relatively few studies have investigated their helminth species diversity in such habitat. We followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guideline to synthesize the existing published literature regarding the helminth fauna of urban rats in developed countries (North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan). We aimed at describing the species diversity and richness of urban rat helminths, the species prevalence and associations, the methods of investigation, the pathological changes observed in the hosts, the risk factors of infection and the public health significance of rat-borne helminthiases. Twenty-three scientific papers published between 1946 and 2019 were reviewed, half of them were conducted in Europe. Twenty-five helminth species and eight genera were described from the liver, digestive tract, lungs and muscles of urban rats. The most commonly reported parasite was Calodium hepaticum . Prevalence and risk factors of helminth infection in urban rats varied greatly between studies. Observed pathological findings in the rat host were generally minor, except for C. hepaticum . Several rat helminths can parasitize humans and are therefore of public health significance. The lack of references to identification keys and the rare use of molecular tools for species confirmation represent the main limitation of these studies. Knowledge gap on this topic and the needs for future research are discussed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00436-020-06776-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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A survey of Angiostrongylus species in definitive hosts in Queensland

Cited by 10 publications

References 29 publications

The mitochondrial genome of Angiostrongylus mackerrasae as a basis for molecular, epidemiological and population genetic studies

The mitochondrial genome of Angiostrongylus mackerrasae as a basis for molecular, epidemiological and population genetic studies

Two cases of neuroangiostrongyliasis: A rare disease because rarely considered or rarely diagnosed?

Helminths of urban rats in developed countries: a systematic review to identify research gaps

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