Local terrestrial snails as natural intermediate hosts of the zoonotic parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the new European endemic area of Valencia, Spain
Abstract Aim The rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis , has recently been found in the city of Valencia, parasitizing rats, Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus , its natural definitive hosts. This is the first finding of this zoonotic nematode in continental Europe. After informing local and na...
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crwiley:10.1111/zph.13131 2024-04-28T08:37:01+00:00 Local terrestrial snails as natural intermediate hosts of the zoonotic parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the new European endemic area of Valencia, Spain Fuentes, Màrius V. Gomez‐Samblas, Mercedes Richter, Orly Sáez‐Durán, Sandra Bueno‐Marí, Rubén Osuna, Antonio Galán‐Puchades, María Teresa 2024 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/zph.13131 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/zph.13131 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Zoonoses and Public Health ISSN 1863-1959 1863-2378 Infectious Diseases Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health General Veterinary General Immunology and Microbiology Epidemiology journal-article 2024 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/zph.13131 2024-04-02T08:45:35Z Abstract Aim The rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis , has recently been found in the city of Valencia, parasitizing rats, Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus , its natural definitive hosts. This is the first finding of this zoonotic nematode in continental Europe. After informing local and national health authorities, the collection of local terrestrial snails took place with the aim of elucidating their potential role as intermediate hosts of A. cantonensis . Methods and Results A total of 145 terrestrial snails, belonging to the species Cernuella virgata , Cornu aspersum , Eobania vermiculata , Otala punctata , Pseudotachea splendida , Rumina decollata and Theba pisana , were randomly collected between May and December 2022 in public gardens, parks and orchards in six districts of Valencia, in five of which A. cantonensis had been reported previously in rats. Once collected and identified, the snails were frozen at −20°C. Subsequently, the DNA was isolated and screened by PCR using specific primers targeting the A. cantonensis COI gene. Seven individual snails, belonging to the species C. virgata , C. aspersum and T. pisana , were positive, for an overall prevalence of 4.8%. The PCR product from one of them was sequenced by Sanger sequencing. Conclusions The three positive terrestrial snail species are among the edible species that are frequently included in various dishes in Spain. C. virgata is reported as a previously unrecorded intermediate host and should be added to the list of more than 200 species of terrestrial snails that have been reported worldwide as intermediate hosts of the rat lungworm. Considering that these terrestrial snails may release infective larvae of A. cantonensis on leafy green vegetables on which they feed and during their handling and preparation for consumption, prophylactic measures to prevent human neuroangiostrongyliasis in Valencia and other regions to which this zoonotic parasite may spread are recommended. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rattus rattus Wiley Online Library Zoonoses and Public Health |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
topic |
Infectious Diseases Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health General Veterinary General Immunology and Microbiology Epidemiology |
spellingShingle |
Infectious Diseases Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health General Veterinary General Immunology and Microbiology Epidemiology Fuentes, Màrius V. Gomez‐Samblas, Mercedes Richter, Orly Sáez‐Durán, Sandra Bueno‐Marí, Rubén Osuna, Antonio Galán‐Puchades, María Teresa Local terrestrial snails as natural intermediate hosts of the zoonotic parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the new European endemic area of Valencia, Spain |
topic_facet |
Infectious Diseases Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health General Veterinary General Immunology and Microbiology Epidemiology |
description |
Abstract Aim The rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis , has recently been found in the city of Valencia, parasitizing rats, Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus , its natural definitive hosts. This is the first finding of this zoonotic nematode in continental Europe. After informing local and national health authorities, the collection of local terrestrial snails took place with the aim of elucidating their potential role as intermediate hosts of A. cantonensis . Methods and Results A total of 145 terrestrial snails, belonging to the species Cernuella virgata , Cornu aspersum , Eobania vermiculata , Otala punctata , Pseudotachea splendida , Rumina decollata and Theba pisana , were randomly collected between May and December 2022 in public gardens, parks and orchards in six districts of Valencia, in five of which A. cantonensis had been reported previously in rats. Once collected and identified, the snails were frozen at −20°C. Subsequently, the DNA was isolated and screened by PCR using specific primers targeting the A. cantonensis COI gene. Seven individual snails, belonging to the species C. virgata , C. aspersum and T. pisana , were positive, for an overall prevalence of 4.8%. The PCR product from one of them was sequenced by Sanger sequencing. Conclusions The three positive terrestrial snail species are among the edible species that are frequently included in various dishes in Spain. C. virgata is reported as a previously unrecorded intermediate host and should be added to the list of more than 200 species of terrestrial snails that have been reported worldwide as intermediate hosts of the rat lungworm. Considering that these terrestrial snails may release infective larvae of A. cantonensis on leafy green vegetables on which they feed and during their handling and preparation for consumption, prophylactic measures to prevent human neuroangiostrongyliasis in Valencia and other regions to which this zoonotic parasite may spread are recommended. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fuentes, Màrius V. Gomez‐Samblas, Mercedes Richter, Orly Sáez‐Durán, Sandra Bueno‐Marí, Rubén Osuna, Antonio Galán‐Puchades, María Teresa |
author_facet |
Fuentes, Màrius V. Gomez‐Samblas, Mercedes Richter, Orly Sáez‐Durán, Sandra Bueno‐Marí, Rubén Osuna, Antonio Galán‐Puchades, María Teresa |
author_sort |
Fuentes, Màrius V. |
title |
Local terrestrial snails as natural intermediate hosts of the zoonotic parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the new European endemic area of Valencia, Spain |
title_short |
Local terrestrial snails as natural intermediate hosts of the zoonotic parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the new European endemic area of Valencia, Spain |
title_full |
Local terrestrial snails as natural intermediate hosts of the zoonotic parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the new European endemic area of Valencia, Spain |
title_fullStr |
Local terrestrial snails as natural intermediate hosts of the zoonotic parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the new European endemic area of Valencia, Spain |
title_full_unstemmed |
Local terrestrial snails as natural intermediate hosts of the zoonotic parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the new European endemic area of Valencia, Spain |
title_sort |
local terrestrial snails as natural intermediate hosts of the zoonotic parasite angiostrongylus cantonensis in the new european endemic area of valencia, spain |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/zph.13131 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/zph.13131 |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_source |
Zoonoses and Public Health ISSN 1863-1959 1863-2378 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/zph.13131 |
container_title |
Zoonoses and Public Health |
_version_ |
1797568550266732544 |