Abstract
BackgroundProtostrongylus oryctolagi and P. pulmonalis are causative agents of pulmonary protostrongyliasis in Lagomorphs in France. These nematodes need usually one intermediate host for its life cycle, a terrestrial snail. However, some studies, mainly in experimental conditions, have identified the species of snails acting as intermediate hosts.MethodsIn total, 3315 terrestrial snails and 307 slugs were collected in the field in South-Eastern France and analyzed to detect the presence of parasites. Identification of nematode parasites and snails were performed according to morphological and molecular approaches (D2 domain of the 28S rDNA for parasites; 18S and ITS-1 rDNA, COI and 16S mtDNA for snails).ResultsEighteen snails were found positive for Protostrongylids larvae. Haplotypes of the larvae corresponding to sequences of P. oryctolagi and P. pulmonalis were detected. Morphological identification of molluscs based on shell characters revealed 4 different morphotypes, and molecular results confirm the membership of these gastropods to the Hygromiidae and revealed 4 different species: Candidula gigaxii, 2 species of Cernuella sp. and Xeropicta derbentina. All infested snails were collected in wine cultures.ConclusionThis study displays the first description of intermediate hosts of P. oryctolagi and the first report of X. derbentina as natural intermediate host of P. pulmonalis.
Highlights
Protostrongylus oryctolagi and P. pulmonalis are causative agents of pulmonary protostrongyliasis in Lagomorphs in France
The aim of our study is to investigate and identify the intermediate hosts of Protostrongylids in natural conditions, by a morphological and molecular approach of parasites and snails, to determine the intensity of infestation and the conditions necessary for the development of these parasites in order to better understand their life cycle and assess risk of contamination for hares’ populations
Our study aims to find these hosts in natura for different species of protostrongylids previously isolated from lungs of hares in France, in order to identify the host-parasite relationship and more precisely the gastropod-nematode relationship, by using techniques previously tested for Trematodes [64,65,66]
Summary
Protostrongylus oryctolagi and P. pulmonalis are causative agents of pulmonary protostrongyliasis in Lagomorphs in France. These nematodes need usually one intermediate host for its life cycle, a terrestrial snail. Some studies, mainly in experimental conditions, have identified the species of snails acting as intermediate hosts. The superfamily of Metastrongyloidea is composed of about 181 species divided into seven families, most of which uses gastropods (generally terrestrial) as intermediate hosts in their life-cycle for the infestation of definitive hosts [1,2]. Since the discovery of the role of snails in the development of Muellerius capillaris by Hobmaier and Hobmaier in 1929 [3], several studies have been implemented in order to identify intermediate hosts and to describe the infestation pathways. Life-cycle of Protostrongylidae includes a pulmonary adult stage in the definitive host.
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