Prevalence and distribution of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda, Angiostrongylidae) in Achatina fulica (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in Baixada Santista, São Paulo, Brazil.
BACKGROUND
Angiostrongylus cantonensis is causes eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. Worldwide expansion of this nematode is linked to the dispersion of their hosts. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of A. cantonensis infection in Achatina fulica in the nine municipalities that make up Baixada Santista, São Paulo, Brazil.


METHODS
Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae were analyzed using optical microscopy. We performed polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism using restriction endonuclease ClaI, directed to the internal transcribed spacer region 2 of A. cantonensis larval DNA.


RESULTS
Of the 540 snails analyzed, 117 (21.7%) were infected by A. cantonensis. For morphological and morphometric analyses, 60 larvae were used. Second-stage larvae were, on average, 358.2µm long and 26.4µm wide, while third-stage larvae were, on average, 450µm long and 21.12µm wide. The tails of the larvae ended in a fine tip.


CONCLUSIONS
All municipalities comprising Baixada Santista had A. fulica that were naturally infected with A. cantonensis. All of the observed characteristics were typical of the species.
Laboratório de Parasitologia de Animais Silvestres, Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Botucatu, SP, Brasil.|Laboratório de Moluscos, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, São Vicente, SP, Brasil.
Laura Rocha
LR
Guerino
Laboratório de Moluscos, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, São Vicente, SP, Brasil.
Iracy Lea
IL
Pecora
Laboratório de Malacologia, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil.
Marcel Sabino
MS
Miranda
Laboratório de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Cryslaine
C
Aguiar-Silva
Laboratório de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Omar Dos Santos
OD
Carvalho
Laboratório de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Roberta Lima
RL
Caldeira
Laboratório de Parasitologia de Animais Silvestres, Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Botucatu, SP, Brasil.
Reinaldo José da
RJ
Silva
D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D004199:Disease Vectors; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011156:Population Density; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012908:Snails / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*