Data on New Intermediate and Accidental Hosts Naturally Infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis in La Gomera and Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)

Simple Summary The rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, is the world's leading cause of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. It is an emerging zoonotic parasite endemic to Asia and the Pacific Islands that has spread to all continents except Antarctica. In the Canary Islands, its presence was first detected in 2010 on the island of Tenerife. Numerous studies demonstrated the high capacity of A. cantonensis to colonize new areas, especially its ability to parasitize a wide range of animals. Due to the similarity of the ecosystems that we can find between the islands that make up the Canary Archipelago and the great diversity of species of both vertebrates and terrestrial gastropods, the objective of this study was to analyze several species as possible hosts of A. cantonensis on other islands in the Canary Islands, with the use of molecular tools. The present study confirmed the presence of A. cantonensis in two mammalian species, Mus musculus and Felis catus, and in four terrestrial gastropod species, Limacus flavus, Milax gagates, Insulivitrina emmersoni, and Insulivitrina oromii. The presence of A. cantonensis implies a possible risk to humans and other animals, which justifies the need for control measures to control the possible risk of infection and, thus, prevent public health and veterinary problems. Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a metastrongyloid nematode and the etiologic agent of angiostrongyliasis, a disease characterized by eosinophilic meningitis. This emerging zoonotic parasite has undergone great expansion, including in some regions of Europe and America. In the Canary Islands, the parasite was first discovered parasitizing Rattus rattus on the island of Tenerife in 2010. To date, the distribution of this parasite in the Canary Islands has been restricted to the northern zone and the main cities of Tenerife. Using molecular tools for the sentinel species present in the Canary Islands, this study confirmed the presence of the nematode on two other islands in the Canary Archipelago: La Gomera and Gran Canaria. Furthermore, this emerging parasite was detected, besides in the common definitive host R. rattus, in wild Mus musculus and Felis catus and in four terrestrial gastropod species, Limacus flavus, Milax gagates, Insulivitrina emmersoni, and Insulivitrina oromii, two of them endemic to La Gomera, for the first time, increasing the number of non-definitive host species. This study reinforces the expansion character of A. cantonensis and highlights the importance of knowledge about sentinel species for identifying new transmission locations that help prevent and control the transmission of the parasite and, thus, prevent public health problems.

Automated summary

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a zoonotic parasite that causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans. It has spread to all continents except Antarctica and has been detected in the Canary Islands. In a recent study, the presence of A. cantonensis was confirmed in various animal species on different islands in the Canary Archipelago, highlighting the potential risk it poses to public health.