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Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Angiostrongylus cantonensis
Angiostrongylus cantonensis.png
Adult female worm of Angiostrongylus cantonensis with characteristic barber-pole appearance (anterior end of worm is to the top). Scale bar is 1 mm.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nematoda
Class: Secernentea
Order: Strongylida
Family: Metastrongylidae
Genus: Angiostrongylus
Species: A. cantonensis
Binomial name
Angiostrongylus cantonensis
(Chen, 1935)

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic nematode (roundworm) that causes angiostrongyliasis, the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin. The nematode commonly resides in the pulmonary arteries of rats, giving it the nickname the rat lungworm. Snails are the primary intermediate hosts, where larvae develop until they are infective.

Humans are incidental hosts of this roundworm, and may become infected through ingestion of larvae in raw or undercooked snails or other vectors, or from contaminated water and vegetables. The larvae are then transported via the blood to the central nervous system (CNS), where they are the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis, a serious condition that can lead to death or permanent brain and nerve damage. Angiostrongyliasis is an infection of increasing public health importance as globalization contributes to the geographic spread of the disease.

First described by Chen (1935) in Cantonese rats, the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis was identified in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with eosinophilic meningitis by Nomura and Lim in Taiwan in 1944. They noted that raw food eaten by the patient may have been contaminated by rats. In 1955, Mackerass and Sanders identified the life cycle of the worm in rats, defining snails and slugs as the intermediate host and noting the path of transmission through the blood, brain, and lungs in rats.

In 2013, A. cantonensis was confirmed present in Florida, USA, where its range and prevalence are expanding.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a helminth of the phylum Nematoda, order Strongylida, and superfamily Metastrongyloidea. Nematodes are roundworms characterized by a tough outer cuticle, unsegmented bodies, and a fully developed gastrointestinal tract. The order Strongylida includes hookworms and lungworms. Metastrongyloidea are characterized as long, slender, threadlike worms that reside in the lungs of the definitive host.Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a closely related worm that causes intestinal Angiostrongyliasis in Central and South America.


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