In the eastern Mediterranean, the rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis is absent or extremely rare according to recent surveys.

This study summarizes the findings of a comprehensive field investigation into the presence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a zoonotic nematode responsible for meningitis, in selected regions of the eastern Mediterranean. Samples were collected from intermediate hosts (gastropods), definitive hosts (rats), and potential paratenic hosts (reptiles) across Cyprus and the northern part of Egypt. Reptile and gastropod samples were analysed using a species-specific and highly sensitive LAMP assay, while rats were dissected and examined for adult nematodes in their pulmonary arteries. All samples from the surveyed localities tested negative for the parasite and its DNA. These findings led the authors to conclude that A. cantonensis is either absent or occurs at a very low prevalence in the areas studied in the eastern Mediterranean.