Snail intermediate host/Schistosoma haematobium relationships from three transmission sites in Benin (West Africa).

The relationships between three strains of Schistosoma haematobium (Doh, Sô-Tchanhoué and Toho-Todougba; from Benin, West Africa) and their snail hosts were assessed by measurement of several life-history traits, including the infection rate; pre-patent period; cercarial production of each parasite strain; and growth, fecundity and survival of the host snails. Adaptations to its local snail host was found for the Toho-Todougba strain and included a short pre-patent period, a long patent period and production of more cercariae in its local snail host. In contrast, the life-history traits of the Doh and Sô-Tchanhoué strains indicated non-local adaptations, as some sympatric host-parasite combinations were not compatible, the highest infection rates occurred in the allopatric snail Bulinus wrighti, and the duration of cercarial production was short because of the high level of mortality of the snails.

Life-history traits indicate local adaptation of the schistosome parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, to its snail host, Biomphalaria pfeifferi.

The digenean trematode Schistosoma mansoni causes schistosomiasis (Bilharziasis), a significant human disease especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We tested local adaptation of this parasite to its intermediate host, the freshwater snail Biomphalaria pfeifferi, by exposure of S. mansoni to B.

Freshwater snail diversity in Benin (West Africa) with a focus on human schistosomiasis.

The aim of this study was to conduct a large-scale freshwater snail survey in Benin to assess the malacological diversity and the larval trematode infections with a focus on Schistosoma genus. We conducted 82 freshwater snail surveys in 35 sites ranked in 4 types and belonging to 9 out of 12 departments. Among 19,200 collected snails, 11 species of freshwater snails were identified.

[Thelohanellus bicornei n. sp. Myxosporidie (Myxosporea, Bivalvulida) a gill parasite of Labeo coubie Rüppel, 1832 (Osteichthyen, Cyprinidae) from Burkina Faso, West Africa].

Thelohanellus bicornei n. sp. (Myxosporea, Bivalvulida) is described from gill of Labeo coubie (Rüppel, 1832) (Osteichthyen, Cyprinidae) in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

[The species Ceratomyxa (Myxosporidae) in Serranidae (fishes, Teleosta)].

The study of several species of Serranid fishes from tunisian and french Mediterranean coasts shows the presence of Myxosporidian spores belonging to the genus Ceratomyxa, in the gall bladder of their hosts. Now this genus makes serious damages in certain hatcheries, the use of some Serranid fishes in fish farming must be joined to great precautions.