Abstract
Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a zoonotic nematode parasite causing human eosinophilic meningitis (or meningoencephalitis) worldwide. A closely related species, Angiostrongylus malaysiensis, might also be a human pathogen. Larvae were obtained from land snails in Lao PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand. We sequenced two nuclear gene regions (nuclear ribosomal ITS2 and SSU rRNA) and a portion of one mitochondrial gene (COI) from these larvae. Angiostrongylus cantonensis and A. malaysiensis were identified. This is the first report of the molecular identification of the two Angiostrongylus species in Lao PDR, Cambodia and Myanmar. The regional distributions of the two species broadly overlap. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred including data from Angiostrongylus species deposited in public databases. All the gene regions we sequenced have potential value in distinguishing between species of Angiostrongylus. The COI gene exhibited the greatest intraspecific variation in the study region (five haplotypes in A. cantonensis and four in A. malaysiensis) and might be suitable for more detailed phylogeographic studies.
Highlights
The genus Angiostrongylus contains nematodes parasitic in rodents and carnivores, in which they are found in the mesenteric or pulmonary arteries and lungs [1]
Ten new partial SSU rRNA and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequences and 12 new partial COI sequences were used for phylogenetic analyses (GenBank accession numbers KU528678-KU528687, KU528688-KU528697 and KU532143-KU532154, respectively)
This study investigated the distribution and genetic relationships of A. cantonensis and A. malaysiensis specimens originating from land snails from different locations in Lao PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand
Summary
The genus Angiostrongylus contains nematodes parasitic in rodents and carnivores, in which they are found in the mesenteric or pulmonary arteries and lungs [1]. Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a primary cause of human eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis in many areas of the world: more than 2800 cases have been documented worldwide [2,3,4,5,6]. Humans are incidental hosts who become infected by eating infective larvae in snails, slugs, paratenic hosts or contaminated vegetables [4,7]. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0161128 August 11, 2016
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