The white-nosed coati (Nasua narica) is a naturally susceptible definitive host for the zoonotic nematode Angiostrongylus costaricensis in Costa Rica.
Angiostrongylus costaricensis (Strongylida, Angiostrongylidae) is a roundworm of rodents, which may cause a severe or fatal zoonosis in several countries of the Americas. A single report indicated that the white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), acts as a potential free-ranging wildlife reservoir. Here we investigated the prevalence and features of A. costaricensis infection in two procyonid species, the white-nosed coati and the raccoon (Procyon lotor) from Costa Rica to better understand their possible role in the epidemiology of this zoonotic infection. Eighteen of 32 (56.2%) white-nosed coatis collected between July 2010 and March 2016 were infected with A. costaricensis but none of 97 raccoons from the same localities were diagnosed with this infection. First-stage larvae of A. costaricensis were obtained from feces of 17 fresh white-nosed coati carcasses by Baermann technique. Parasite identity was confirmed by morphology, histology and molecular characterization of target genes. These data demonstrate that the white-nosed coati is a naturally susceptible definitive host for A. costaricensis in Costa Rica contrary to findings in the raccoon.
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: marisant@libero.it.
Mario
M
Santoro
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
Alejandro
A
Alfaro-Alarcón
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Vincenzo
V
Veneziano
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, Italy.
Anna
A
Cerrone
Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
Maria Stefania
MS
Latrofa
Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
Domenico
D
Otranto
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
Isabel
I
Hagnauer
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
Mauricio
M
Jiménez
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, Italy.
Giorgio
G
Galiero
D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D045988:Procyonidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D011821:Raccoons / Q000469:parasitology*; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015047:Zoonoses
Abdominal angiostrongyliasis; Parasitic disease; Procyon lotor; Public health; Reservoir; Zoonotic helminth