Angiostrongylus cantonensis
Species of roundworm / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a nematode (roundworm) parasite that causes angiostrongyliasis, an infection that is the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin.[3] The nematode commonly resides in the pulmonary arteries of rats, giving it the common name rat lungworm.[4] Snails are the primary intermediate hosts, where larvae develop until they are infectious.
Angiostrongylus cantonensis | |
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Adult female worm of Angiostrongylus cantonensis with characteristic barber-pole appearance (anterior end of worm is to the top). Scale bar is 1 mm. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Nematoda |
Class: | Chromadorea |
Order: | Rhabditida |
Family: | Angiostrongylidae |
Genus: | Angiostrongylus |
Species: | A. cantonensis |
Binomial name | |
Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935)[1] | |
Synonyms[2] | |
Pulmonema cantonensis Chen, 1935 |
Humans are incidental hosts of this roundworm, and may become infected through ingestion of larvae in raw or undercooked snails or other vectors, or from contaminated water and vegetables.[5] The larvae are then transported via the blood to the central nervous system, where they are the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis, a serious condition that can lead to death or permanent brain and nerve damage.[6] Angiostrongyliasis is an infection of increasing public health importance, as globalization contributes to the geographic spread of the disease.[7][8]