Older urban rats are infected with the zoonotic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Abstract

Rats, being synanthropic, are hosts to agents of zoonotic diseases that pose a threat to human and domestic animal health. The nematode parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis, commonly known as the rat lungworm, is no exception; it can cause potentially fatal neural disease in humans, dogs and other species. The distribution of A. cantonensis (haplotypes SYD.1 and Ac13) and its close relative, Angiostrongylus mackerrasae is not well understood in Australia. We investigated the prevalence of Angiostrongylus in rats in Sydney, Australia, primarily via faecal qPCR, and identified the species and haplotypes using partial cox1 sequencing. We found a moderate prevalence of infection (29%; 95% CI: 16.1–46.6%) in black (Rattus rattus) and brown (Rattus norvegicus) rats around public parks and residential areas. This study demonstrates that Sydney’s urban rat population is a reservoir for A. cantonensis. Modelling infection status as a function of rat species, sex, tibia length (as a proxy for age), and health index (a measure of weight by size) revealed that older rats are statistically more likely to be infected (χ²₁ = 5.331, P = 0.021). We observed a dominant presence of the A. cantonensis SYD.1 haplotype, for which the implications are not yet known. No A. mackerassae was detected, leading us to suspect it may have a more restricted host- and geographical range. Overall, this study illustrates the presence and potential risk of A. cantonensis infection in Sydney. Public education regarding transmission routes and preventative measures is crucial to safeguard human and animal health.