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Low SY, Lau SF, Ahmad NI, Sharma RSK, Rosli MZ, Mohd-Taib FS, Ajat MMM, Kamaludeen J, Syed Hussain SS, Wan KL, Salleh A, Aziz NAA. A cross-sectional study of Angiostrongylus malaysiensis in rats and gastropod hosts from recreational parks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Detection, risk factors and pathology. Zoonoses Public Health 2023; 70:636-646. [PMID: 37403513 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Angiostrongylus malaysiensis is a potential zoonotic parasite, which reported to co-occur with A. cantonensis in human cerebrospinal fluid. It is a heteroxenous nematode that primarily develops through the early larval stages in gastropods and attains sexual maturity within rats. This study was conducted to determine the host species responsible for the reservoir of A. malaysiensis and investigate the risk factor for transmission among the hosts in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sampling was conducted in six recreational parks. The rats were trapped alive using steel wire traps with bait, while the gastropods were collected by active searching. The rats were euthanized and dissected to collect any adult worms observed. The molecular detection of A. malaysiensis was performed by PCR on gastropod tissue samples. Biotic and landscape factors were recorded for risk factor analysis. In total, 82 rats and 330 gastropods were collected throughout the study. Overall, 3.64% of gastropods and 32.9% of rats were infected with A. malaysiensis. Rattus tiomanicus (Malayan wood rat) and Parmarion martensi (Yellow-shelled semi-slug) were found as important hosts for A. malaysiensis. Host species, sampling site and macrohabitat type are risk factors associated with the prevalence of A. malaysiensis infection in rats. For gastropods, host species and sampling site are risk factors that correlate with the parasite detection. In total, 128 adult A. malaysiensis were recovered from the infected rats. The mean intensity of infection with adult A. malaysiensis was 4.65 for Rattus rattus complex and 4.90 for R. tiomanicus. Adult worms were found in the pulmonary artery or right ventricle, while eggs and first-stage larvae were found in capillaries of the caudal lung lobe. Infected lungs showed extravasated red blood cells in the alveolar spaces. The pulmonary arteries in the infected lung lobe were thickened. Kepong Metropolitan Park is the hotspot area for A. malaysiensis in Kuala Lumpur. These results provide essential information for public health officials to develop targeted interventions to reduce the transmission of A. malaysiensis in urban areas, particularly in recreational parks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suey Yee Low
- Department of Veterinary Pathology & Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Seng Fong Lau
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Nur Indah Ahmad
- Department of Veterinary Pathology & Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Reuben Sunil Kumar Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Zahin Rosli
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Farah Shafawati Mohd-Taib
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Mokrish Md Ajat
- Department of Veterinary Pre-clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Juriah Kamaludeen
- Department of Animal Science and Fishery, Faculty of Agriculture Science and Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Bintulu, Malaysia
| | - Sharifah Salmah Syed Hussain
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Kiew-Lian Wan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Annas Salleh
- Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Nor Azlina Abdul Aziz
- Department of Veterinary Pathology & Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
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