Dusch Alena, Segeritz Lisa, Schmiedel Judith, Taubert Anja, Hermosilla Carlos
Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Institute of Medical Microbiology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Pathogens. 2025 Aug 9;14(8):800. doi: 10.3390/pathogens14080800.
The metastrongyloid nematodes , , and can cause severe cardiopulmonary and respiratory symptoms in domestic dogs and cats and free-ranging canids and felids (e.g., foxes, wolves, wild cats, lynxes). Recent data on the prevalence of infections in dogs and foxes and on the prevalence of and infections in free-ranging lynxes and wild cats revealed several endemic and hyperendemic foci in Germany. Nonetheless, long-term investigations on the prevalence of metastrongyloid larvae infecting gastropod intermediate hosts are still scarce for Germany. To fill this gap, we conducted an epidemiological survey on native slugs and snails in a selected meadow close to Obrigheim, previously identified as a hyperendemic focus for canine angiostrongylosis. To re-evaluate this location as a 'hotspot' of canine angiostrongylosis, terrestrial slugs and snails ( = 533) were collected in all seasons, artificially digested, and microscopically and molecularly analyzed for the presence of metastrongyloid lungworm larvae. Here, the prevalence ranged greatly between seasons. In summer, 27.46% (59/215) of gastropods were infected with metastrongyloid larvae. In fall, the prevalence dropped to 10.00% (16/160) and lowest infection rates were observed in both winter (5.65%) and spring (1.47%). In total, was detected in 12.01% (64/533), sp. in 0.94% (5/533), and in 0.38% (2/533) of gastropod samples. Even though total infection levels were revealed to be considerably lower than in the prior study, this epidemiological survey in principle reconfirms Obrigheim as a stable hyperendemic focus and thereby as a location with high metastrongyloid infection risk for domestic dogs, cats, and wildlife throughout the year. These results call for continuous epidemiological studies on gastropod populations to better understand metastrongyloid lungworm spread and infection dynamics over the years.
后圆线虫属线虫、、可在家犬和家猫以及散养犬科动物和猫科动物（如狐狸、狼、野猫、猞猁）中引起严重的心肺和呼吸道症状。最近关于犬类和狐狸感染情况以及散养猞猁和野猫感染和感染情况的数据显示，德国存在几个地方流行和高度地方流行疫源地。尽管如此，德国对感染后圆线虫幼虫的腹足类中间宿主的流行情况进行的长期调查仍然很少。为了填补这一空白，我们在奥布里希姆附近一个选定的草地上对本地蛞蝓和蜗牛进行了一项流行病学调查，该草地先前被确定为犬血管圆线虫病的高度地方流行疫源地。为了重新评估这个地方作为犬血管圆线虫病的“热点”，我们在所有季节收集了陆生蛞蝓和蜗牛（=533只），进行人工消化，并通过显微镜和分子分析来检测后圆线虫肺线虫幼虫的存在。在这里，不同季节的感染率差异很大。夏季，27.46%（59/215）的腹足类动物感染了后圆线虫幼虫。秋季，感染率降至10.00%（16/160），冬季（5.65%）和春季（1.47%）的感染率最低。在总共533份腹足类动物样本中，检测到的占12.01%（64/533），种占0.94%（5/533），占0.38%（2/533）。尽管总的感染水平显示比先前的研究低得多，但这项流行病学调查原则上再次证实奥布里希姆是一个稳定的高度地方流行疫源地，因此是一个全年对家犬、家猫和野生动物具有高后圆线虫感染风险的地方。这些结果呼吁对腹足类动物种群进行持续的流行病学研究，以更好地了解多年来后圆线虫肺线虫的传播和感染动态。
