Project information
Invasive zoonotic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis in endemic lizards

The rat lungworm A. cantonensis is an invasive nematode with impact on human and animal health. It originates in South-East Asia but spread worldwide including foci near Europe, especially in fragile island ecosystems. Our recent findings of the parasite in endemic lizards Gallotia galloti in Tenerife open a range of questions related to a role of these paratenic hosts in transmission of A.c. in the Macaronesian ecosystem and the impact on lizards’ fitness.