Abstract
Background: Neuroangiostrongyliasis is an emerging foodborne zoonosis in the Philippines and remains understudied in the country. This study surveyed the distribution and morphometry-based risk for Angiostrongylus spp. in snail hosts in Brgy. Matataja, Mulanay, Quezon Province. Methods: Snails (n=138) were collected from January to April 2025. Shell morphometry was recorded prior to dissection. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was first used to reduce trait multicollinearity in measured morphometry. Logistic and linear regression analyses were then used to evaluate morphometry-based infection risk and larval capacity in host species, respectively. Results: Total prevalence was 15.90% (n=22). Lissachatina fulica showed higher prevalence (60.90%) with moderate intensity (6.57 ± 6.69), while Pomacea canaliculata exhibited lower prevalence (8.4%) but exhibited extreme aggregation (k=0.02, D =0.972). Species-specific modeling identified shell size (PC1) as a risk predictor only for L. fulica (p=0.027), while size limited carrying capacity across both species (p<0.05). Conclusion: This is the first report of Angiostrongylus sp. in Quezon Province to our knowledge. The significant influence of shell morphometrics on larval burden highlights the importance of host physical traits in parasite transmission dynamics and the need for localized public health surveillance.
Keywords
Angiostrongylus spp., Snail hosts, Surveillance, Foodborne helminth