Impact of environment, host microbiome, and stress on Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) transmission Randi L. RollinsPhD CandidateZoology Graduate Program Ph.D. Defense Committee: Robert Cowie (chair), Anthony Amend, Rebecca Chong, Matthew Medeiros, Amber Wright August 2nd 2023 @ 12:00 p.m.Location: St.…
As climate change continues, human cases of rat lungworm disease are anticipated to become more widespread globally, especially in places where the parasite that causes the disease is not yet present. A review paper, led by University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa…
While many people know that rat lungworm disease can be spread to humans by slugs and snails, new research shows those creatures are not the only ones that have been transmitting the illness. Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at…
The nematode parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) has a complex life cycle involving rats (definitive hosts) and gastropods (intermediate hosts), as well as various paratenic hosts. Humans become infected and develop rat lungworm disease (neuroangiostrongyliasis) when they consume intermediate or…
"Accidental Host - The Story of Rat Lungworm Disease" is a 53-minute documentary about a silently-spreading foodborne parasite that invades human brains and now thrives in tropical areas of five continents, including Hawaii and the southeastern U.S. The film features…
Adult male and female (with red and white barber-pole spirals) rat lungworms in the pulmonary artery of a rat (Photo: Nicole Yoneishi, Medeiros lab). Randi Rollins, PhD student in Robert Cowie’s PBRC lab, recently published the second in a pair…
Randi Rollins was awarded the UH Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Merit Based Award for Research (PhD) for 2019-2020. Her dissertation focuses on the natural and zoonotic transmission of rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), a parasitic roundworm and cause of a debilitating…
A study led by Pacific Biosciences Research Center researchers revealed that Angiostrongylus cantonensis or rat lungworm is widespread in the Hawaiian Islands, and its distribution may expand, especially toward higher elevations as the climate warms. Rat lungworm is a parasitic nematode with a complicated life cycle,…
Dr. Robert Cowie of PBRC discusses the rat lungworm problem in Hawaii in aninterview for ThinkTechHawaii that aired live on 10 March 2017. The ratlungworm is a parasite with a natural life cycle that involves snails andrats as hosts. However,…
