Feline lungworms unlock a novel mode of parasite transmission.
Snail-borne lungworms exert an enormous toll on the health and welfare of animals and humans. Of these parasites, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior affect the respiratory tract of felids. These lungworms share both the ecological niche and the species of snail (Helix aspersa) acting as intermediate host. Recently, the ability of H. aspersa to shed infective third-stage larvae (L3s) of A. abstrusus and T. brevior in the environment has been demonstrated, matching previous knowledge of mode of transmission of zoonotic lungworms. Here, we evaluated, for the first time, the ability of A. abstrusus and T. brevior L3s to infect new, susceptible snail hosts following their release from experimentally infected molluscs, and refer to this novel route of parasite transmission as intermediesis. The implications of snail-to-snail transmission in the epidemiology of snail-borne diseases are also discussed.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
Vito
V
Colella
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
Alessio
A
Giannelli
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina 98122, Italy.
Emanuele
E
Brianti
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
Rafael Antonio Nascimento
RA
Ramos
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, United Kingdom.
Cinzia
C
Cantacessi
1] Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy [2] Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Research Centre, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 50670-420 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Filipe
F
Dantas-Torres
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
Domenico
D
Otranto
D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission*; D002415:Cats; D007814:Larva / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008681:Metastrongyloidea / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*