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Evolutionary, molecular and comparative zoology
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 55(3)

Occurrence of Angiostrongylus species (Nematoda) in populations of Rattus rattus and Rattus fuscipes in coastal forests of south-eastern Australia

Vicki L. Stokes A B D , David M. Spratt A , Peter B. Banks B , Roger P. Pech C and Richard L. Williams A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, GPO Box 284, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

B School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

C Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, PO Box 40, Lincoln 8152, New Zealand.

D Corresponding author. Email: vicki.stokes@bigpond.com

Australian Journal of Zoology 55(3) 177-184 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO06061
Submitted: 17 July 2006  Accepted: 21 May 2007   Published: 28 June 2007

Abstract

The distributions of the introduced nematode parasite, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and the native Angiostrongylus mackerrasae in Australia are poorly understood. We sampled rodents and/or their faeces, and intermediate gastropod hosts for the presence of Angiostrongylus species in coastal forests surrounding Jervis Bay in south-eastern Australia. We found A. cantonensis in populations of introduced Rattus rattus in forests to the north of Jervis Bay, and A. mackerrasae in native Rattus fuscipes in forests to the south of Jervis Bay. The apparent geographical separation of these lungworm species may be a consequence of host specificity and negative associations between R. rattus and R. fuscipes that results from interspecific competition. A. cantonensis was regularly found in R. rattus or their faeces across 9 of 12 study sites north of Jervis Bay, and three species of snail common to the area were suitable intermediate hosts. This has potential negative implications for native wildlife and human visitors to these forests, because A. cantonensis infection causes zoonotic disease (neuro-angiostrongyliasis) in humans and a wide range of bird and mammal hosts. Management of pest rodents in the study area is warranted.


Acknowledgements

Thank you to the Department of Defence (particularly Mark Armstrong and Steven Moore) and the Department of the Environment and Water Resources (particularly Nick Dexter and Matt Hudson) for facilitating regular access to study sites and providing laboratory space. Additional thanks to the Department of the Environment and Water Resources for assistance with operating funds. Thanks to Mark Armstrong for assistance in the field, for information acknowledged in the manuscript and for comments on the manuscript. Many thanks also to Charles Krebs for comments on the manuscript. This research was conducted under animal ethics approval (application no. 02/03-24 and 03/04-15(2), CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems animal ethics committee), and live trapping was permitted under New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife issued licence (S10259), Department of Environment and Heritage issued licence (BDR03/00006) and Department of Defence issued licence (2/03).


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