Introduction 

Angiostrongyliasis is a parasitic disease caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Angiostrongylus costaricensis

-They possess distinctive, coiled pattern due to their uterine tubes 

-Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is the most common cause of human eosinophilic meningitis

-it is transmitted between rats and mollusks (such as slugs or snails) in its natural life cycle

-Most cases of infection are diagnosed in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin,

-Humans acquire the Infection by ingesting raw or undercooked infected snails or slugs or foods contaminated by the slime of infected snails or slugs 

Symptoms & Signs 

Meningeal Angiostrongyliasis: Eosinophilic meningitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis; headaches,nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, cranial and extraocular nerve palsies, seizures, paralysis, lethargy 

Abdominal Angiostrongyliasis: caused by Angiostrongylus costaricensis; mimics appendicitis; nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain  

Diagnosis 

Diagnosis is based on epidemiologic history, clinical features and labs 

Labs: Eosinophilia 

Epidemiologic history: History of travel to endemic regions, of eating snails and slugs 

Treatment 

There is no specific treatment for Angiostrongyliasis