Transmission of A. armillatus Ova, The Gambia | CDC EID

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Volume 17, Number 2–February 2011
Dispatch
Transmission of Armillifer armillatus Ova at Snake Farm, The Gambia, West Africa
Dennis Tappe, Michael Meyer, Anett Oesterlein, Assan Jaye, Matthias Frosch, Christoph Schoen, and Nikola Pantchev

Author affiliations: University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany (D. Tappe, A. Oesterlein, M. Frosch, C. Schoen); Touray and Meyer Veterinary Clinic, Bijilo, The Gambia (M. Meyer); Medical Research Council Laboratories, Fajara, The Gambia (A. Jaye); and Veterinary Medical Laboratory, Ludwigsburg, Germany (N. Pantchev)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
Visceral pentastomiasis caused by Armillifer armillatus larvae was diagnosed in 2 dogs in The Gambia. Parasites were subjected to PCR; phylogenetic analysis confirmed relatedness with branchiurans/crustaceans. Our investigation highlights transmission of infective A. armillatus ova to dogs and, by serologic evidence, also to 1 human, demonstrating a public health concern.

Pentastomes are an unusual group of vermiform parasites that infect humans and animals. Phylogenetically, these parasites represent modified crustaceans probably related to maxillopoda/branchiurans (1). Most documented human infections are caused by members of the species Armillifer armillatus, which cause visceral pentastomiasis in West and Central Africa (2–4). An increasing number of infections are reported from these regions (5–7). Close contact with snake excretions, such as in python tribal totemism in Africa (5) and tropical snake farming (2), as well as consumption of undercooked contaminated snake meat (8), likely plays a major role in transmission of pentastome ova to humans.

full-text:
Transmission of A. armillatus Ova, The Gambia | CDC EID


Suggested Citation for this Article
Tappe D, Meyer M, Oesterlein A, Jaye A, Frosch M, Schoen C, et al. Transmission of Armillifer armillatus ova at snake farm, The Gambia, West Africa. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2011 Feb [date cited]. http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/17/2/251.htm


DOI: 10.3201/eid1702.101118


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Dennis Tappe, Institute of Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; email: dtappe@hygiene.uni-wuerzburg.de