Abdominal angiostrongyliasis: its prevention by the destruction of infecting larvae in food treated with salt, vinegar or sodium hypochlorite

Abstract

There is a high prevalence of accidental human infection with Angiostrongylus costaricensis in some areas in southern Brazil and sometimes it presents as severe intestinal disease. Prophylaxis is important since there is no medical treatment for the disease. The ingestion of fruits and vegetables contaminated with the mucous secretion of infected molluscs (the intermediate hosts) is one of the proposed modes of transmission. Third stage larvae were incubated at 5 degrees C for 12 hours, in solutions of saturated sodium chloride, vinegar and sodium hypochlorite 1.5%. The larvae had their viability tested through inoculation into albino mice. The percentage of larvae that established infection were 0% in the group treated with sodium hypochloride, 1.8% with NaCl and 2.4% with vinegar. In conclusion, all substances tested reduced the population of viable larvae and may be useful in food decontamination, as a prophylactic measure for abdominal angiostrongylosis.