BACKGROUND: Endemic lizards of the genus Gallotia are of high ecological value to the terrestrial ecosystem of the archipelago of the Canary Islands, being potent seed spreaders as well as an important component of the diet of other vertebrates. The endemic lizard Gallotia galloti in Tenerife has recently been reported to be a paratenic host of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, an invasive metastrongylid with zoonotic potential that is associated with rats as definitive hosts. However, microscopic examination of G. galloti tissue samples also revealed the presence of other metastrongylid larvae inside granulomas on the liver of this reptile. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of helminths other than A. cantonensis in tissues of G. galloti from Tenerife. METHODS: A multiplex-nested PCR targeting the internal transcribed spacer 1 was designed that enabled the species-specific detection of A. cantonensis, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Crenosoma striatum and Crenosoma vulpis. Liver samples from 39 G. galloti were analysed. RESULTS: Five metastrongylids were detected: A. cantonensis (15.4% of samples analysed), A. vasorum (5.1%), Ae. abstrusus (30.8%), C. striatum (30.8%) and undetermined metastrongylid sequences (12.8%). Co-infection was highly prevalent among the lizards which tested positive. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides a new specific tool for the simultaneous detection of a range of metastrongylids of veterinary importance as well as new data on the circulation of metastrongylids in an ecosystem dominated by lizards.

Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología Pediatría Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública Toxicología Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología Facultad de Farmacia Universidad de La Lagunas Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain

Department of Botany and Zoology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty of AgriSciences Mendel University in Brno Zemědělská 1665 1 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Veterinary Sciences Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Czech Republic

Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Biomedical Center Charles University Alej Svobody 1655 76 Plzeň Czech Republic

Institute of Parasitology Biology Center of Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Czech Republic

Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias Universidad de La Laguna Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain

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Lizards as sentinels for the distribution of Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Co-introduction into a delicate island ecosystem: metastrongyloid nematodes (superfamily Metastrongyloidea) of veterinary and medical importance circulating in aquatic and terrestrial environments of Tenerife (Canary Islands)