title: First report of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the giant African land snail Achatina fulica in French Polynesia detected using the SSU rRNA gene.
abstract: The 5' end of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene was used to determine   whether 3rd larval stage Angiostrongylus cantonensis are present in populations of the giant   African land snail Achatina fulica from French Polynesia. Two populations, one from Moaroa   Valley, Tahiti (n=5) and the other from Haapiti Valley, Moorea (n=10), were examined. All   snails from Tahiti were infected with nematodes, with parasite load ranging from 12 to 28. A   total of 92 nematodes were found, of which 91 were positively identified as A. cantonensis.   No nematodes were found in the snails from Moorea. We report for the first time the presence   of A. cantonensis in A. fulica snails from French Polynesia, indicating a viable route of human   infection of A. cantonensis in the region through the handling of A. fulica or consumption of   the snail or contaminated food crops associated with the snail.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Fontanilla I
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wade
mesh_terms: D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D049851:Gastropoda / Q000469:parasitology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D059208:Parasite Load; D011114:Polynesia; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S