Publication details
In the eastern Mediterranean, the rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis is absent or extremely rare according to recent surveys
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00436-025-08580-3 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-025-08580-3 |
| Keywords | Emerging zoonotic disease; Invasive nematode; Cyprus; Egypt |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The article reports the results of targeted surveys for the rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis in selected regions of the eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus and northern Egypt). The authors sampled potential intermediate hosts (gastropods), paratenic hosts (several reptile species) and definitive hosts (rats). Reptiles and gastropods were screened using a sensitive species-specific LAMP assay, while rats were dissected and examined for adult nematodes in the pulmonary arteries. All samples were negative for A. cantonensis and its DNA, suggesting that the parasite is either absent or occurs at very low prevalence in the studied areas. The study highlights the importance of publishing negative data for mapping the distribution of this zoonotic parasite and calls for expanded, year-round surveillance to better assess the potential risk in the eastern Mediterranean. |
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