Experimental light infection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats.

An experimental infection with a smaller number of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, using rats as hosts, was carried out. When the rats were infected with one and two larvae of A. cantonensis, the infection rates were 45.5% and 73.3% and recovery rates of the adult worms were 45.5% and 66.7%, respectively. In cases when more than three larvae were given to rats, all rats were found to be infected and recovery rates were around 70%, which is the same as in the case of infection with many larvae. The recovered worms were all mature and showed no important difference in their morphological measurements. It was concluded that the larvae of A. cantonensis were able to infect rats in small numbers, and completely develop into adult worms. It is suggested that human infection could occur in the same way.