Seasonal intensity of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the intermediate host, Laevicaulis alte

Mahajan, Rohit; Almeida, Adriana Jardim de; Sengupta, S. R.; Renapurkar, D. M.

doi:10.1016/0020-7519(92)90017-f

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

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“…Although A. cantonensis is currently spreading rapidly throughout the Americas [4], there have not been any studies that have focused on the role of R. norvegicus in parasite transmission; instead, most studies have focused only on the intermediate host [17,18]. Horizontal studies are important because they allow us to characterize the profile of parasite transmission.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A longitudinal study of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in an urban population of Rattus norvegicus in Brazil: the influences of seasonality and host features on the pattern of infection

et al. 2014

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Background: The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a zoonotic parasite and the most important cause of eosinophilic meningitis worldwide in humans. In Brazil, this disease has been reported in the states of Espírito Santo and Pernambuco. The parasite has been detected in the naturally infected intermediate host, in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco and Santa Catarina. The murid Rattus norvegicus R. rattus were recently reported to be naturally infected in Brazil. In this study, we conducted a two-year investigation of the dissemination pattern of A. cantonensis in R. norvegicus in an urban area of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, and examined the influence of seasonality, year, host weight and host gender on parasitological parameters of A. cantonensis in rats. Methods: The study was conducted in an area of Trindade, São Gonçalo municipality, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Prevalence of infected rats, intensity and abundance of A. cantonensis were calculated, and generalized linear models were created and compared to verify the contribution of host gender, host weight, year and seasonality to the variations in A. cantonensis abundance and prevalence in rats. Results:The prevalence of A. cantonensis infection was stable during the rainy (71%, CI 58.9-81.6) and dry seasons (71%, CI 57.9-80.8) and was higher in older rats and in females. Seasonality, host weight (used as a proxy of animal age) and gender were all contributing factors to variation in parasite abundance, with females and heavier (older) animals showing larger abundance of parasites, and extreme values of parasite abundance being more frequent in the dry season. Conclusions: The high prevalence of this parasite throughout the study suggests that its transmission is stable and that conditions are adequate for the spread of the parasite to previously unaffected areas. Dispersion of the parasite to new areas may be mediated by males that tend to have larger dispersal ability, while females may be more important for maintaining the parasite on a local scale due to their higher prevalence and abundance of infection. A multidisciplinary approach considering the ecological distribution of the rats and intermediate hosts, as well as environmental features is required to further understand the dynamics of angiostrongyliasis.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A longitudinal study of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in an urban population of Rattus norvegicus in Brazil: the influences of seasonality and host features on the pattern of infection

et al. 2014

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An Overview of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae), an Emerging Cause of Human Angiostrongylosis on the Indian Subcontinent

2023

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Human angiostrongylosis is an emerging zoonosis caused by the larvae of three species of metastrongyloid nematodes of the genus Angiostrongylus, with Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935) being dominant across the world. Its obligatory heteroxenous life cycle includes rats as definitive hosts, mollusks as intermediate hosts, and amphibians and reptiles as paratenic hosts. In humans, the infection manifests as Angiostrongylus eosinophilic meningitis (AEM) or ocular form. Since there is no comprehensive study on the disease in the Indian subcontinent, our study aims at the growing incidence of angiostrongylosis in humans, alongside its clinical course and possible causes. A systematic literature search revealed 28 reports of 45 human cases from 1966 to 2022; eosinophilic meningitis accounted for 33 cases (75.5%), 12 cases were reported as ocular, 1 case was combined, and 1 case was unspecified. The presumed source of infection was reported in 5 cases only. Importantly, 22 AEM patients reported a history of eating raw monitor lizard (Varanus spp.) tissues in the past. As apex predators, monitor lizards accumulate high numbers of L3 responsible for acute illness in humans. For ocular cases, the source was not identified. Most cases were diagnosed based on nematode findings and clinical pathology (primarily eosinophilia in the cerebrospinal fluid). Only two cases were confirmed to be A. cantonensis, one by immunoblot and the other by q-PCR. Cases of angiostrongylosis have been reported in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Telangana, and West Bengal. With a population of more than 1.4 billion, India is one of the least studied areas for A. cantonensis. It is likely that many cases remain undetected/unreported. Since most cases have been reported from the state of Kerala, further research may focus on this region. Gastropods, amphibians, and reptiles are commonly consumed in India; however, typical preparation methods involve cooking, which kills the nematode larvae. In addition to studying rodent and mollusk hosts, monitor lizards can be used as effective sentinels. Sequence data are urgently needed to answer the question of the identity of Angiostrongylus-like metastrongylid nematodes isolated from all types of hosts. DNA-based diagnostic methods such as q-PCR and LAMP should be included in clinical diagnosis of suspected cases and in studies of genetic diversity and species identity of nematodes tentatively identified as A. cantonensis.

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Seasonal intensity of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the intermediate host, Laevicaulis alte

Cited by 2 publications

References 7 publications

A longitudinal study of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in an urban population of Rattus norvegicus in Brazil: the influences of seasonality and host features on the pattern of infection

A longitudinal study of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in an urban population of Rattus norvegicus in Brazil: the influences of seasonality and host features on the pattern of infection

An Overview of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae), an Emerging Cause of Human Angiostrongylosis on the Indian Subcontinent

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