Infection by Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Metastrongylidae) in Rattus rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) in a locality of Havana, Cuba

Authors

  • Ariamys Companioni Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.
  • Jennys Peraza Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.
  • Zulema Menendez Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.
  • Aileen Gonzalez Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.
  • Ledy Xiomara Lopez Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.
  • Ana Elisa Rodriguez Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.
  • Jorge Demetrio Cantillo Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.
  • Fidel Angel Nuñez Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina (ELAM). La Habana.

Keywords:

Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Rattus, Roedores, huertos urbanos, período lluvioso.

Abstract

Introduction: Eosinophilic meningitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935) is an emergent zoonosis present in Cuba. In the country, few studies about the prevalence of infection in definitive hosts, which can determine risk sites for the establishment of effective measures to prevent the disease, have not been carried out so far. Objective: To determine the prevalence of infection with Angiostrongylus cantonensis in a natural population of Rattus rattus, its relationship with the population structure, and the season of the year in an urban farm field belonging to the Programme of Urban and Suburban Agriculture of Cuba. Material and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in La Lisa Municipality, Havana, Cuba. The rats were collected monthly during the rainy and dry seasons. The pulmonary arteries of the captured rodents were examined for adult worms. The prevalence of parasitological indices was calculated. The frequencies of infection were compared between the seasons of the year and ecological ages. Results: A total of 63 rodents identified as Rattus rattus were captured. Of the total of individuals captured, 46.03% were infected with A. cantonensis, with an increase of infection in adult individuals (59.46%) and during the rainy season (55.88%). Conclusions: The infection of A. cantonensis in its definitive host R. rattus, and its circulation in the study area in the analyzed period was demonstrated for the first time in Cuba. The presence of adult rats, the high quantity of rodents and the rainy season were the factors that contributed to a greater infection of A. cantonensis, which increase the probability of transmission to intermediate hosts, and consequently, the risk of transmission to humans. 

Keywords: Angiostrongylus cantonensis, rodents, Rattus, urban field, rainy period.

 

 

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Author Biographies

Ariamys Companioni, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.

Licenciada en Biologia. Master en Entomologia Medica y Control de Vectores.

Zulema Menendez, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.

Licenciada en Biologia. Master en Entomologia Medica y Control de Vectores.

Aileen Gonzalez, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.

Licenciada en Microbiologia. Master en Microbiologia.

Jorge Demetrio Cantillo, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí". La Habana.

Licenciado en Medicina Veterinaria.

Fidel Angel Nuñez, Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina (ELAM). La Habana.

Doctor en Medicina.

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Published

2019-04-16

How to Cite

1.
Companioni A, Peraza J, Menendez Z, Gonzalez A, Lopez LX, Rodriguez AE, et al. Infection by Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Metastrongylidae) in Rattus rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) in a locality of Havana, Cuba. Rev haban cienc méd [Internet]. 2019 Apr. 16 [cited 2025 Jul. 3];18(2):298-307. Available from: https://revhabanera.sld.cu/index.php/rhab/article/view/2454

Issue

Section

Epidemiological and Salubrity Sciences