Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematode: Metastrongyloidea) in molluscs from harbour areas in Brazil

摘要

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the most common aetiological agent of human eosinophilic meningoencephalitis.Following a report indicating the presence of this parasite in Brazil in 2007, the present study was undertaken to investigatethe presence of A. cantonensis in the surrounding Brazilian port areas. In total, 30 ports were investigatedand the following molluscs were identified: Achatina fulica , Belocaulus sp., Bradybaena similaris sp., Cyclodontina sp., Helix sp., Leptinaria sp., Melampus sp., Melanoides tuberculata , Phyllocaulis sp., Pomacea sp., Pseudoxychona sp., Rhinus sp., Sarasinula marginata , Streptaxis sp., Subulina octona , Succinea sp., Tomigerus sp., Wayampia sp.and specimens belonging to Limacidae and Orthalicinae. Digestion and sedimentation processes were performedand the sediments were examined. DNA was extracted from the obtained larvae and the internal transcribed spacerregion 2 was analysed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism after digestion withthe endonuclease ClaI. Of the 30 ports investigated in this study, 11 contained molluscs infected with A. cantonensislarvae. The set of infected species consisted of S. octona, S. marginata, A. fulica and B. similaris. A total of 36.6%of the investigated ports were positive for A. cantonensis, indicating a wide distribution of this worm. It remainsuncertain when and how A. cantonensis was introduced into South America.