Angiostrongylus costaricensisnatural infection inVaginulus plebeiusin Nicaragua

Abstract

A study of 94 slugs, collected from urban and rural areas in and around Léon, Nicaragua, was carried out in order to confirm the role of Vaginulus plebeius as an intermediate host of Angiostronglylus costaricensis. Third-stage larvae of A. costaricensis were obtained from these molluscs. Some of these larvae were then orally inoculated into two laboratory-bred rats Sigmodon hispidus and adult worms of A. costaricensis were recovered two months later. The infection rate of these slugs ranged from 4% in urban areas to 85% in rural areas. These data suggest that contamination to man is a major risk especially in rural areas and that abdominal angiostrongyliasis could be a health problem in Nicaragua.