What is the infectious larval stage of Angiostrongylus cantonensis ingested by humans?
Answer
L3 larvae
The life cycle of *Angiostrongylus cantonensis* involves several developmental stages across different hosts. After rat feces containing the L1 stage larvae are ingested by intermediate hosts such as snails or slugs, the larvae develop further within the mollusk tissues. The stage that becomes infectious to humans is the third-stage larvae, denoted as L3. Accidental ingestion of these L3 larvae, either through consuming the infected snail or consuming produce contaminated with the snail's mucus or feces containing these larvae, initiates the infection cycle in humans.
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