SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, September 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands is organizing these days the ‘VII International Workshop’ on the ‘angiostrongylus’ parasite, whose presence was detected in Tenerife in 2010, with a series of conferences that will take place at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of La Laguna and ends this Saturday.
The working groups have the participation of more than fifty scientists, some of them from countries such as the US or Peru, to present their lines of work and research in this regard.
Pilar Foronda, doctor from the ULL and belonging to the Parasitology group, coordinates the organization of the conferences with which the aim is to delve deeper into the means of control, diagnosis and the most appropriate treatment of this zoonosis whose presence forces the scientific community to be aware of its possible consequences on the population.
The ‘angiostrongylus’ is a rat parasite that occupies the lung of this rodent, whose larvae are ingested by intermediate hosts such as snails or slugs, the organization details in a note.
Of particular concern is its passage through vegetables commonly consumed by humans, such as lettuce or greens, so it is advisable to carefully wash these foods before ingesting them.
They can also be found in land crabs, shrimp or prawns, their ingestion being another of the most common entry routes for humans.
In 2010, the parasitic zoonosis group of the University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands described for the first time on the islands, in the north of Tenerife, the presence of this parasite.
Since then, work has been carried out on the development of diagnostic techniques and other research to better understand the life cycle and intermediate hosts of ‘Angiostróngylus’.
This international meeting has the support of the Vice-Rectorate of Research and Transfer of the University of La Laguna; the Canarian Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society of the Government of the Canary Islands; Canary Islands Triconental Atlantic Campus; AdDigaNost; the Official Colleges of Biology, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine; Cofarte; CyberInfec,; the ULGPGC through its Social Council, the department of Animal Pathology, Animal Production, Bromatology and Animal Technology and the University Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety; Biotein, Biosigma and MSD.
