Small-scale spatial analysis of intermediate and definitive hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

BACKGROUND: Angiostrongyliasis is a food-borne parasitic zoonosis. Human infection is caused by infection with the third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The life cycle of A. cantonensis involves rodents as definitive hosts and molluscs as intermediate hosts. This study aims to investigate on the infection status and characteristics of spatial distribution of these hosts, which are key components in the strategy for the prevention and control of angiostrongyliasis. METHODS: Three villages from Nanao Island, Guangdong Province, China, were chosen as study area by stratified random sampling. The density and natural infection of Pomacea canaliculata and various rat species were surveyed every three months from December 2015 to September 2016, with spatial correlations of the positive P. canaliculata and the infection rates analysed by ArcGIS, scan statistics, ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models. RESULTS: A total of 2192 P. canaliculata specimens were collected from the field, of which 1190 were randomly chosen to be examined for third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis. Seventy-two Angiostrongylus-infected snails were found, which represents a larval infection rate of 6.1% (72/1190). In total, 110 rats including 85 Rattus norvegicus, 10 R. flavipectus, one R. losea and 14 Suncus murinus were captured, and 32 individuals were positive (for adult worms), representing an infection rate of 29.1% of the definitive hosts (32/110). Worms were only found in R. norvegicus and R. flavipectus, representing a prevalence of 36.5% (31/85) and 10% (1/10), respectively in these species, but none in R. losea and S. murinus, despite testing as many as 32 of the latter species. Statistically, spatial correlation and spatial clusters in the spatial distribution of positive P. canaliculata and positive rats existed. Most of the spatial variability of the host infection rates came from spatial autocorrelation. Nine spatial clusters with respect to positive P. canaliculata were identified, but only two correlated to infection rates. The results show that corrected Akaike information criterion, R2, R2 adjusted and σ2 in the GWR model were superior to those in the OLS model. CONCLUSIONS: P. canaliculata and rats were widely distributed in Nanao Island and positive infection has also been found in the hosts, demonstrating that there was a risk of angiostrongyliasis in this region of China. The distribution of positive P. canaliculata and rats exhibited spatial correlation, and the GWR model had advantage over the OLS model in the spatial analysis of hosts of A. cantonensis.

Co-circulation of Aedes flavivirus, Culex flavivirus, and Quang Binh virus in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: With increases in global travel and trade, the spread of arboviruses is undoubtedly alarming. Pathogen detection in field-caught mosquitoes can provide the earliest possible warning of transmission. Insect-specific flavivirus (ISFV) has been first detected in 1991 and documented worldwide in the latest ten years. Although infection with ISFVs is apparently limited to insects, an increase in the infection rate of mosquito-borne flaviviruses may be able to induce cytopathic effects in vertebrate cells during co-infection with other human pathogens. However, little is known whether ISFVs persist in most regions of China. METHODS: During the mosquito activity season in 2016, a surveillance program was carried out to detect ISFVs in mosquitoes in metropolitan Shanghai, China. The presence of ISFVs was randomly tested in different species of mosquitoes using RT-PCR-based and hemi-nested PCR assays, following by the sequencing of PCR products. Sequences from positive pooled samples were compared with those deposited in GenBank. Thereafter, sequences of representative insect flaviviruses were used for further phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analyses. RESULTS: Our investigations showed: (1) the presence of Aedes flavivirus (AEFV) in 11/161 pooled samples (nine pools in Songjiang District, one pool in Huangpu District, and one pool in Qingpu District) of Aedes albopictus, (2) the presence of Quang Binh virus (QBV) in 10/195 pooled samples (all in Chongming District) of Culex tritaeniorhynchus; and (3) the presence of Culex flavivirus (CxFV) in 9/228 pooled samples (six pools in Pudong New Area, two pools in Huangpu District, and one pool in Chongming District) of Cx. pipiens. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses of the gene sequences of envelope proteins indicated that Shanghai CxFV strains belonged to the Asia/USA genotype. The overall maximum likelihood estimation values (and 95% confidence interval) for CxFV, QBV, and AEFV in mosquitoes collected in Shanghai in 2016 were 1.34 (0.66-2.45), 1.65 (0.87-2.85), and 1.51 (0.77-2.70) per 1000, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals the presence and the geographical distribution of ISFVs, and determines the genetic variation and the infection rate of ISFVs in Shanghai, China. At least, three insect flaviviruses including ISFVs, AEFV, CxFV, and QBV, co-circulate in this area. To our knowledge, this is the first report of AEFV in China.