# In the eastern Mediterranean, the rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis is absent or extremely rare according to recent surveys

## TL;DR

A study found that a parasite causing meningitis is either absent or very rare in the eastern Mediterranean.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on the absence or rarity of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Cyprus and northern Egypt.

## Key findings

- All collected samples tested negative for Angiostrongylus cantonensis and its DNA.
- The parasite appears to be absent or extremely rare in the surveyed regions of the eastern Mediterranean.

## Abstract

This study summarizes the findings of a comprehensive field investigation into the presence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a zoonotic nematode responsible for meningitis, in selected regions of the eastern Mediterranean. Samples were collected from intermediate hosts (gastropods), definitive hosts (rats), and potential paratenic hosts (reptiles) across Cyprus and the northern part of Egypt. Reptile and gastropod samples were analysed using a species-specific and highly sensitive LAMP assay, while rats were dissected and examined for adult nematodes in their pulmonary arteries. All samples from the surveyed localities tested negative for the parasite and its DNA. These findings led the authors to conclude that A. cantonensis is either absent or occurs at a very low prevalence in the areas studied in the eastern Mediterranean.