First molecular evidence of Angiostrongylus vasorum in an African Golden wolf (Canis lupaster) in Algeria

Abstract

Background Angiostrongylus vasorum, the “French heartworm” is a nematode belonging to the Metastrongyloidea superfamily. This parasite was first identified in Toulouse, France by Serres in 1853 infecting the pulmonary arteries and the right side of the heart of a Pointer dog. There is no report regarding this nematode in Algeria. This report aims to investigate the presence of lungworms among different mammal species in different Algerian regions. Materials and methods Between February 2022 and September 2023, 47 road-killed animals were collected from six departments in Algeria. All carcasses were subjected to a full parasitological investigation, and lung tissues were preserved in 10% buffered formalin and 70% ethanol. All collected samples were subjected to histology and PCR for lungworm identification. Results In a single golden African wolf (Canis lupaster) collected from Constantine, the histological examination revealed the presence of nematode eggs and larvae in the alveolar space and the interstitium-associated chronic obstructive vascular changes. The molecular identification confirmed the presence of Angiostrongylus vasorum. All the other animals were negative for lungworms. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of A. vasorum infecting a golden African wolf (Canis lupaster), reporting a new host association, highlighting the importance of further studies to update the geographical distribution and its epidemiology across Algeria.