The invasive giant African snail Lissachatina fulica as natural intermediate host of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Troglostrongylus brevior, and Crenosoma vulpis in Colombia

Abstract

Background Several metastrongyloid lungworms are unreported pathogens in Colombia. Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis target the cardiopulmonary system of domestic and wild canids. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior infect felids and considering that six wild felid species exist in Colombia, knowledge of feline lungworm infections is important for their conservation. The zoonotic metastrongyloids Angiostrongylus costaricensis and Angiostrongylus cantonensis can cause severe gastrointestinal and neurological diseases. Angiostrongylus costaricensis has been reported in Colombia, while Ang . cantonensis is present in neighbouring countries. Research on the epidemiology of metastrongyloids in Colombia and South America more broadly requires evaluating the role that gastropods play as intermediate hosts in their life cycles. This study assessed the prevalence of metastrongyloid larvae in populations of the invasive giant African snail, Lissachatina fulica , in Colombia. Methodology/Principal findings A total of 609 Lissachantina fulica were collected from 6 Colombian municipalities. The snails were then cryo-euthanized, artificially digested and the sediments examined microscopically for the presence of metastrongyloid larvae. Based on morphological characteristics 53.3% (56/107) of the snails from Puerto Leguízamo (Department of Putumayo) were infected with Ael . abstrusus larvae, 8.4% (9/107) with Ang . vasorum larvae, 6.5% (7/107) with T . brevior larvae and 5.6% (6/107) with C . vulpis larvae, being the region with highest prevalences of the four species. Snails from Andes (Department of Antioquia) and Tulúa (Department of Valle del Cauca) were positive for Ang . vasorum larvae with a prevalence of 4.6 (11/238) and 6.3% (4/64), respectively. Species identifications were confirmed by PCR and sequencing. Conclusions/Significance This epidemiological survey reports for first time the presence of Ael . abstrusus , T . brevior , C . vulpis and Ang . vasorum in L . fulica in a number of regions of Colombia.

Intermediate gastropod hosts of major feline cardiopulmonary nematodes in an area of wildcat and domestic cat sympatry in Greece

“…Table 2 provides the measurements of all developmental stages of the nematode species reported here in comparison with previously reported data [ 10 , 28 , 29 , 31 , 32 , 34 – 36 , 38 , 39 , 46 , 48 – 50 ].…”

“… a References [ 10 , 28 , 29 , 32 , 34 , 46 – 48 ] b References [ 31 , 35 , 36 ] c References [ 10 , 28 ] d References [ 38 , 39 ] e Reference [ 44 ] Abbreviations : E, experimental infection; N, natural infection; P, present study (number of larvae measured); nv, not visible; nr, not reported; L2, second stage larvae; L3, third-stage larvae …”

“…Nevertheless, natural infections with A. abstrusus have been occasionally reported (Table 2 ). In the case of T. brevior there are recent reports of natural infection in Lissachatina fulica and Arion vulgaris in Colombia and Austria, respectively [ 38 , 39 ], although no morphological description of the isolated parasites is provided. Hence, the present results add new gastropod species to the natural intermediate host spectrum of the three nematodes.…”

Gastrointestinal and cardiorespiratory endoparasites in the wild felid guigna (Leopardus guigna) in Chile: Richness increases with latitude and first records for the host species

“…could possibly be shared. Co-infection of cardiorespiratory parasites in intermediate hosts was reported by Lange et al (2018) and Penagos-Tabares et al (2019) , finding larvae of two metastrongyloid species in the same slug. Thus, intermediate hosts with mixed infections could be eaten by paratenic hosts and then be transmitted to guignas.…”

Felid Cardiopulmonary Nematodes: Dilemmas Solved and New Questions Posed

“…However, T . brevior was found in Colombia and Austria [ 88 , 94 ] as well as Greece [ 69 ]. These results are surprising, as T. brevior has never been found in felids from South America or Austria.…”