Investigating and Studying Pentastomes
SLAM (Snake Lungworm Alliance and Monitoring) is a collaborative network of researchers, land managers, local government, and citizen scientists working to conduct opportunistic surveillance for the invasive snake lungworm, Raillietiella orientalis,across the southeastern United States. Founded in the spring of 2022, our mission is to assess the presence, prevalence, and intensity of orientalis infection in snake populations, with a focus on understanding the conservation concerns it poses to native herpetofauna. In addition to R. orientalis, we also monitor the prevalence and intensity of native pentastomes and other parasites. To date, we have documented R. orientalis infections in 18 new counties and several novel host species. We have also identified cases of infection in the pet trade, associated with mortality. Given the broad range of potential host species and the presence of R. orientalis in the pet trade, expanding the SLAM network remains imperative to addressing this emerging threat.