Abstract
Angiostrongylus cantonensis is of increasing public health importance as the main zoonotic pathogen causing eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis, which has been documented all over the world. However, there are very limited studies about its phylogeography and spread pattern. In the present study, the phylogeography of A. cantonensis in southern China (including Taiwan) and partial areas of Southeast Asia were studied based on the sequences of complete mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene. A total of 520 individuals of A. cantonensis obtained from 13 localities were sequenced for the analyses and grouped into 42 defined haplotypes. The phylogenetic tree (NJ tree and BI tree) revealed a characteristic distribution pattern of the four main lineages, with detectable geographic structure. Genetic differentiation among populations was significant, but demographic expansion could not be detected by either neutrality tests or mismatch distribution analysis, which implied a low gene flow among the local populations in different regions where the samples were collected. Two unique lineages of the A. cantonensis population in Taiwan were detected, which suggests its multiple origin in the island. Populations in Hekou (China) and Laos showed the highest genetic diversities, which were supported by both genetic diversity indices and AMOVA. These results together infer that the area around Thailand or Hekou in Yunnan province, China are the most likely origins of Angiostrongylus cantonensis.
Highlights
The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935) is one of 21 described species in its genus, and is the zoonotic parasite responsible for human eosinophilic meningitis or meningocephalitis [1, 2]
Discovered in the pulmonary arteries and hearts of rats Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus [1], A. cantonensis has been isolated from a number of intermediate hosts including terrestrial and aquatic snails species such as Achatina fulica and Pomacea canaliculata, from which it moves on to a number of species that serve as paratenic hosts, such as crustaceans, monitor lizards and various frogs species
Our analysis focused on the cytochrome b (Cytb) gene of A. cantonensis from Achatina fulica mainly collected from southern China and the surrounding region, with some samples from Laos (Vientiane) close to northern Thailand included
Summary
The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935) is one of 21 described species in its genus, and is the zoonotic parasite responsible for human eosinophilic meningitis or meningocephalitis [1, 2]. Discovered in the pulmonary arteries and hearts of rats Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus [1], A. cantonensis has been isolated from a number of intermediate hosts including terrestrial and aquatic snails species such as Achatina fulica and Pomacea canaliculata, from which it moves on to a number of species that serve as paratenic hosts, such as crustaceans, monitor lizards and various frogs species. Due to the deliberate or unintentional introduction of its hosts, the epidemic areas of the angiostrongyliasis have expanded to novel countries and regions including Australia and Latin America [4, 5], in an apparent correlation with the dispersal of its intermediate host, especially Achatina fulica infected with A. cantonensis [6]. Increasing interest in the diagnosis and treatment of angiostrongyliasis has followed its recent spread, diagnosis and treatments of this potentially fatal disease are difficult because of the unfamiliarity with the distinguishing biological features of this worm, and the lack of awareness of food security in some regions [7, 8]
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