Abstract
Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), a parasitic nematode that can cause eosinophilic meningitis in humans, was first detected in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, in the mid-1980s and now appears to be widespread in the southeastern United States. We assessed the distribution, prevalence, and intensity of A. cantonensis infection in New Orleans by examining lung biopsy samples of rodents trapped at 96 sites in 9 areas in Orleans Parish and 1 area in neighboring St. Bernard Parish during May 2015 through February 2017. These areas were selected to capture contrasting levels of income, flooding, and pos-disaster landscape management after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We detected A. cantonensis in all areas and in 3 of the 4 rat species trapped. Overall prevalence was ≈38% but varied by area, host species, and host species co-occurrence. Infection intensity also varied by host species. These findings suggest that socioecological analysis of heterogeneity in definitive and intermediate host infection could improve understanding of health risks across the city.
Highlights
Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), a parasitic nematode that can cause eosinophilic meningitis in humans, was first detected in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, in the mid-1980s and appears to be widespread in the southeastern United States
A parasitic nematode carried by intermediate mollusk hosts and definitive rat hosts [6,7], rat lungworm can cause eosinophilic meningitis in humans who become infected by ingesting intermediate hosts or paratenic hosts, such as freshwater shrimp and frogs [6,7]
Our overall estimate of 38% infection prevalence in New Orleans is comparable to count-based estimates reported for other areas where A. cantonensis is considered endemic (19,20, but see 21)
Summary
Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), a parasitic nematode that can cause eosinophilic meningitis in humans, was first detected in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, in the mid-1980s and appears to be widespread in the southeastern United States. Prevalence, and intensity of A. cantonensis infection in New Orleans by examining lung biopsy samples of rodents trapped at 96 sites in 9 areas in Orleans Parish and 1 area in neighboring St. Bernard Parish during May 2015 through February 2017. We trapped rodents across New Orleans to characterize the current distribution, prevalence, and intensity of A. cantonensis infection and to determine how these aspects vary according to organismal and ecological characteristics of definitive hosts, including species co-occurrence. This study enabled us to identify factors associated with definitive host infection, which might affect transmission risk across the city and offer further insight into the global progression, surveillance, and control of rodent-associated infectious disease
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