Invasive reptiles add to rat lungworm host picture in Canary Islands

A new study in Animals reports that three invasive reptile species in the Canary Islands, California kingsnakes, Cuban green anoles, and veiled chameleons, carried Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the zoonotic rat lungworm, expanding the list of known paratenic hosts in the archipelago. The finding suggests that invasive reptiles may be participating in parasite circulation in island ecosystems already under pressure from invasive rodents and gastropods. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

That matters because the Canary Islands have been a growing European hotspot for A. cantonensis for more than a decade. The parasite was first reported in Tenerife rats in 2010, and subsequent studies documented it in gastropod intermediate hosts, endemic lizards, and other accidental or intermediate hosts on additional islands. A 2026 Emerging Infectious Diseases analysis concluded the parasite is now firmly established across Tenerife, with positive host detections at 35 of 41 surveyed locations. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The new reptile paper adds an invasive-species layer to that story. According to the study abstract provided by Animals, investigators examined 166 invasive reptiles from the Canary Islands: 51 California kingsnakes (Lampropeltis californiae), 74 Cuban green anoles (Anolis porcatus), and 42 veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus), using nested PCR to look for A. cantonensis. Earlier Canary Islands work had already shown that the endemic lizard Gallotia galloti can act as a paratenic host, and later work suggested lizards could serve as practical sentinels for parasite distribution. This new report extends that concept from native reptiles to invasive ones that may move through different habitats and prey networks. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

More broadly, the biology fits what parasitologists already know about rat lungworm transmission. Rats are the definitive hosts, gastropods are the intermediate hosts, and a range of other animals, including reptiles and amphibians, can act as paratenic hosts that harbor infective third-stage larvae without supporting parasite maturation. CDC materials note that paratenic hosts can contribute to transmission if they are eaten, and recent CDC surveillance papers continue to describe reptiles among recognized paratenic hosts. (cdc.gov)

I didn't find a separate institutional press release or a named outside expert reacting specifically to this paper. Still, the broader field has been moving in the same direction: recent Canary Islands and CDC-linked studies frame reptiles as useful sentinels and emphasize that increasing host breadth is one marker of establishment in invaded ecosystems. The 2026 Tenerife mapping paper explicitly tied the growing number of infected host species to concern about wildlife impacts and ongoing zoonotic risk, even in the absence of reported human cases. That's an inference from the pattern across studies, rather than a direct quote about this specific paper. (wwwnc.cdc.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinarians, especially those following emerging parasitic disease, this is less about immediate companion-animal case management and more about surveillance, wildlife health, and One Health risk assessment. A wider paratenic host range can make local transmission harder to map and control, particularly on islands where invasive predators and prey overlap with native fauna. It also reinforces the need to think beyond rats and snails when assessing environmental exposure pathways, neurologic disease in wildlife, or regional zoonotic risk communication for pet parents and the public. (wwwnc.cdc.gov)

What to watch: The next important questions are prevalence by species and island, whether these reptiles are competent long-term reservoirs of infective larvae, and how much they contribute to spread across habitats or between islands. Watch, too, for whether Canary Islands surveillance programs begin using invasive reptiles, alongside endemic lizards, rats, and gastropods, as practical sentinels for A. cantonensis distribution. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)