The cockroach Periplaneta americana as a potential paratenic host of the lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus.
Exp Parasitol
; 182: 54-57, 2017 Nov.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28942048
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is a well-known nematode affecting the respiratory system of felids worldwide. Snails and slugs act as intermediate hosts of this parasite, whereas rodents, birds and reptiles may serve as paratenic hosts. Periplaneta americana, the American brown cockroach, shares the same habitat and ecological features (e.g. nocturnal activity) with both snails and cats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of P. americana to maintain alive A. abstrusus third stage larvae (L3s) after artificial inoculation. MATERIAL ANDMETHODS:
Twenty-five specimens of P. americana were infected with 100 A. abstrusus L3s collected from experimentally infected Cornu aspersum snails, whereas five specimens were used as control group. After the infection, cockroaches were maintained in individual plastic boxes until dissection for the presence of L3s at 1 (T1), 5 (T5), 10 (T10), 15 (T15), and 20 (T20) days post-infection.RESULTS:
Except for T15, alive A. abstrusus L3s (n = 63) were found at all time-points, being 26, 19, 16 and 2 L3s retrieved at T1, T5, T10 and T20, respectively. Eleven (17.4%) L3s were found within the digestive tract, 10 (15.9%) in other-than-digestive organs and 42 (66.7%) in the exoskeleton and associated tissues. Nine out of the twenty-five experimentally inoculated cockroaches (36%) died soon after the artificial infection (T1), while in the control group, two out of the five (40%) died before the end of the study (T15) with no difference in the mortality rate between groups.DISCUSSION:
Results of this study suggest that P. americana could act as a paratenic host of A. abstrusus. Periplaneta americana cockroaches, have a ubiquitous distribution and may be preyed by cats, representing a potential source of infection to cats living in endemic areas.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
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Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Periplaneta
/
Doenças do Gato
/
Infecções por Strongylida
/
Insetos Vetores
/
Metastrongyloidea
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Exp Parasitol
Ano de publicação:
2017
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Itália