''Angiostrongylus costaricensis'' is a species of parasitic nematode and is the causative agent of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in humans. It occurs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Hosts

Rodents are the normal definitive hosts, especially the

cotton rat A cotton rat is any member of the rodent genus ''Sigmodon''. Their name derives from their damaging effects on cotton as well as other plantation crops, such as sugarcane, corn, peanut and rice. Cotton rats have small ears and dark coats, and a ...

. Aberrant infections have occurred in many other mammals including humans. Infection of mammalian hosts occurs via ingestion of L3 larvae in mollusc tissue (e.g. undercooked or raw snails or accidentally on produce) or possibly food contaminated with slime containing such larvae. Molluscs are the intermediate host and are infected through ingestion or penetration of the foot by L1 infective larvae from infected feces. * ''

Limax maximus ''Limax maximus'' (literally, "biggest slug"), known by the common names great grey slug and leopard slug, is a species of slug in the family Limacidae, the keeled slugs.Marshall, B. (2014). Limax maximus Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed through: World ...

'' * Slugs from the family

Veronicellidae The Veronicellidae, also known by their common name the leatherleaf slugs, are a family of pulmonate terrestrial slugs. The herbivorous molluscs occur mainly in the tropical and subtropical areas of America, Asia and Africa. They act as interm ...

Pathology

Pathology is due to both the adults and the eggs. Adults in the ileo-caecal arterioles cause an inflammatory (eosinophilic) response in humans. In the Cotton Rat the adult worms cause local haemorrhages. The intestinal wall is also affected. In humans there is a thickening of the intestinal wall (ileum, appendix and caecum). In rats with heavy infestations there is a yellow discolouring of the surface of the intestinal walls.

Clinical signs and diagnosis

* Abdominal pain which presents as a palpable mass on clinical examination * Anorexia * Diarrhoea * Vomiting In the blood and tissue biopsy there is

eosinophilia Eosinophilia is a condition in which the eosinophil count in the peripheral blood exceeds . Hypereosinophilia is an elevation in an individual's circulating blood eosinophil count above 1.5 x 109/ L (i.e. 1,500/ μL). The hypereosinophilic synd ...

. Other methods of diagnosis from a biopsy are eggs and larvae in the blood vessels. Imaging of the liver and intestine can also be helpful. Serology is sometimes used to diagnose from a blood sample and there are specific

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (, ) is a commonly used analytical biochemistry assay, first described by Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann in 1971. The assay uses a solid-phase type of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the presence ...

s (ELISA). This is a rare disease. In

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island and an Overseas department and region, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of ...

, a French island of the

Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

, two confirmed cases and two probable cases were identified during an 18-year period (2000-2017), with an estimated incidence of 0.2 cases per year (0.003 case/year/100.000 inhabitants).

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based primarily on detection of worms and/or eggs in biopsy specimens.

References

Strongylida Nematodes described in 1971 Parasites of rodents Rodent-carried diseases Zoonoses {{Secernentea-stub