Confirmation of the presence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in lung tissue of the African giant snail (Lissachatina fulica) in Colombia

Abstract

Objetive: To confirm the presence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Lissachatina fulica individuals in Colombia.Methods: 19 individuals of L. fulica were collected in the city of Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Lung tissue was extracted and two analysis methods were used: visual identification by histological observation, and identification through conventional and real-time PCR. The A. cantonensis detection rate was established taking into account each of the analysis techniques used.Results: Presence of A. cantonensis was confirmed in the lung tissue of L. fulica specimens collected in the city of Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The detection rate based on visual identification through histological analysis was 89%, whereas it was 95% using conventional PCR, and 100% using real-time PCR.Conclusion: This study confirmed for the first time the presence of A. cantonensis associated with L. fulica specimens in Colombia. Therefore, eosinophilic meningitis could be considered an emerging disease in Colombia.