Angiostrongylus cantonensis

The parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis is responsible for the human disease known as angiostrongyliasis or rat lungworm disease, a major cause of eosinophilic meningitis. Neurological damage appears to be caused both by the physical damage caused by the movement of the worms in the brain and by the inflammation caused by the immune reaction to the worms, which seems to be a more intense reaction to the dead than to the live worms.

Characteristics
Shape and Size
long and slender, males are 15.9-19 mm and females are 21-25 mm in length.
Genome Information
Angiostrongylus cantonensis A_cantonensis_China, Size 253.24 Mb, GC% 41.7 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/30176
Food Source
ingestion of larvae or infected snails or slugs in raw or undercooked food, or pieces of snails and slugs accidentally chopped up in vegetables, vegetable juices, or salads.raw fish,fresh leafy vegetables contaminated by snail slime trails containing larvae.
Pathological Factor
Infection may be mild and death is rare. Once infective larvae of A. cantonensis are ingested, they invade the intestinal tissue and can cause enteritis.The larvae then pass through the liver and lungs before reaching the nervous system. While the nematode moves through the lung, cough, rhinorrhoea, sore throat, malaise and fever can develop. When the nematode reaches the central nervous system, the main clinical manifestation is eosinophilic meningitis, characterized by headache, neck stiffness, parasthesia, vomiting, fever, nausea and blurred vision or diplopia.
Disease
Angiostrongyliasis (gastrointestinal or central nervous system disease in humans)
Symptoms
nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, and headaches, abnormal sensations of the arms and legs can occur,
Affected Body Organs
gastro intestinal organs, brain.

Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Nematoda
Class Secernentea
Order Strongylida
Family Metastrongylidae
Genus Angiostrongylus
Species A. cantonensis