Urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS) caused by Schistosoma haematobium is endemic in the South West Region of Cameroon. An understanding of the abundance and distribution of the Bulinus snail, intermediate host can inform strategic snail control programmes at a local scale. This study investigated seasonal dynamics and environmental factors influencing occurrence and abundance of freshwater snail intermediate hosts in Tiko, a semi-urban endemic focus in the Mount Cameroon area. A longitudinal malacological field survey was conducted between December 2019 and December 2020 in the Tiko municipality. Snails were collected for one year monthly at 12 different human water contact sites along a stretch of the Ndongo stream using a standardized sampling technique. Freshwater snails were identified using shell morphological features. In addition, water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solutes, salinity, water depth, width and flow velocity were measured, and vegetation cover as well as substrate type were determined. Bayesian regression models were used to identify the main environmental factors affecting the occurrence and abundance of Bulinus intermediate host. In total, 2129 fresh water snails were collected during the study period. Physa (51.4%) was the most abundant genus followed by Melanoides (28.6%) then, Bulinus (15.5%), Lymnaea (4.2%), Indoplanorbis (0.2%) and Potadoma (0.1%). Seasonality in abundance was significant in Bulinus sp as well as other genera, with greater numbers in the dry season (peaks between December and February). Water temperature, a rocky or sandy substrate type associated positively with Bulinus sp, meanwhile a higher water flow rate and medium vegetation negatively influenced the snail intermediate host population. These findings underscore the importance of timing behavioural and snail control interventions against schistosomiasis as well as increase vigilance of other trematode diseases in the study area. The continuous spread of planorbid snail hosts is a major concern.
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http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0292943 | PLOS |
PLoS Negl Trop Dis
December 2024
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Background: Schistosomiasis is an important snail-borne parasitic disease whose transmission is exacerbated by water resource management activities. In Rwanda, meeting the growing population's demand for food has led to wetlands reclamation for cultivation and increased agrochemical enrichment for crop production. However, the ecological consequences of agrochemical enrichment on schistosomiasis transmission remain unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
December 2024
Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, South Africa.
Infect Dis Poverty
September 2024
IHPE Interactions Hotes-Pathogenes-Environnements, Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, University of Montpellier, IFREMER, University of Perpignan Via Domitia, Montpellier, France.
Background: Combating infectious diseases and halting biodiversity loss are intertwined challenges crucial to ensure global health. Biodiversity can constrain the spread of vector-borne pathogens circulation, necessitating a deeper understanding of ecological mechanisms underlying this pattern. Our study evaluates the relative importance of biodiversity and the abundance of Bulinus truncatus, a major intermediate host for the trematode Schistosoma haematobium on the circulation of this human pathogen at aquatic transmission sites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasit Vectors
June 2024
Mathematics and Statistics, Lancaster University, Bailrigg House, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YE, UK.
Background: Along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi, the incidence of schistosomiasis is increasing with snails of the genera Bulinus and Biomphalaria transmitting urogenital and intestinal schistosomiasis, respectively. Since the underlying distribution of snails is partially known, often being focal, developing pragmatic spatial models that interpolate snail information across under-sampled regions is required to understand and assess current and future risk of schistosomiasis.
Methods: A secondary geospatial analysis of recently collected malacological and environmental survey data was undertaken.
Vet Sci
May 2024
School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban 4001, South Africa.
This study aimed at determining the identity of freshwater snails collected from selected water habitats frequented by wildlife as source of drinking water in the Matebeleland region of Zimbabwe and further screening the identified snails for natural infections with amphistomes using PCR. A total of 487 freshwater snails were collected from six areas in the Matebeleland region of Zimbabwe for identification and screening of amphistome infection. Eight freshwater snail species were morphologically identified and , and were confirmed using the COI gene.
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