Parasitology: Angiostrongylus cantonensis: practice question

A Microbiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Microbiology · Parasitology: Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Sample item

A 30-year-old in Southeast Asia who ate raw snails develops severe headache, neck stiffness and paraesthesia. CSF shows more than 10 percent eosinophils. Which parasite is the most likely cause?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans who ingest raw snails, slugs or contaminated vegetables. The larvae migrate to the brain and die there, and treatment is mainly supportive with analgesia and sometimes steroids.

Option by option

  • A. Taenia solium

    T. solium causes neurocysticercosis with cysts, seizures and calcifications.

  • B. Naegleria fowleri

    N. fowleri causes fulminant amoebic meningoencephalitis after freshwater exposure, with neutrophilic CSF.

  • C. Toxocara canis

    T. canis causes visceral larva migrans and ocular disease, mainly in young children.

  • D. Angiostrongylus cantonensis (correct)

    Correct. Raw snails and eosinophilic CSF indicate A. cantonensis.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Microbiology question

What is the answer to this Microbiology question?

The best answer is D, Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans who ingest raw snails, slugs or contaminated vegetables.

Why is "Taenia solium" not the answer?

T. solium causes neurocysticercosis with cysts, seizures and calcifications.

Why is "Naegleria fowleri" not the answer?

N. fowleri causes fulminant amoebic meningoencephalitis after freshwater exposure, with neutrophilic CSF.

Why is "Toxocara canis" not the answer?

T. canis causes visceral larva migrans and ocular disease, mainly in young children.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Parasitology: Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Microbiology. The larvae migrate to the brain and die there, and treatment is mainly supportive with analgesia and sometimes steroids.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Parasitology: Angiostrongylus cantonensis?

Make a one-line identity card for each organism: shape and stain, defining test, toxin, disease and drug. Then use the flashcards and the other Microbiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.