Snail-Borne Diseases

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2022) | Viewed by 1994

Special Issue Editor

Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland
Interests: trichobilharzia; zoology immunology animal behavior zoonotic diseases parasitic diseases tropical diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Molluscs play a key role in the Digenea life-cycle. Adult forms of the parasites develop inside different vertebrate species, including humans. Some of them can cause disease symptoms and even death of the hosts. On the basis of the analysis of the symptoms and the morphological diagnosis of the adult flukes causing them, it is quite possible to unequivocally determine the species of the etiological agent. In the case of larval forms living in snails, the morphological characteristics should be confirmed by molecular diagnostics. Understanding the spread of fluke species in snail host populations will allow us to conclude on the potential threat of transmission of these parasites to final hosts.

This Special Issue is focused on the spread of Digenea species in snail host populations including both morphological and molecular diagnostics. The Special Issue will provide new knowledge on the potential threat of transmission of these parasites to vertebrates, including humans, in areas where the snail–host species occur.

Prof. Dr. Elżbieta Żbikowska
Guest Editor

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Keywords

freshwater snail-hosts relationships

cercariae species

Digenea prevalence

snail-fluke interaction

larvae molecular identification

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 2963 KiB  
Article
Survey on Limnic Gastropods: Relationships between Human Health and Conservation
by Paulo R. S. Coelho, Fabricio T. O. Ker, Amanda D. Araujo, Hudson A. Pinto, Deborah A. Negrão-Corrêa, Roberta L. Caldeira and Stefan M. Geiger
Pathogens 2022, 11(12), 1533; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens11121533 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1458
Abstract
The present work aimed to study ecological aspects related to the distribution pattern of medically important and native freshwater mollusks, found in a rural municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Malacological captures were carried out in aquatic environments (lentic and lotic) [...] Read more.
The present work aimed to study ecological aspects related to the distribution pattern of medically important and native freshwater mollusks, found in a rural municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Malacological captures were carried out in aquatic environments (lentic and lotic) from 46 locations between October 2018 and September 2019. The collected specimens were subjected to taxonomic identification and evaluation for infection with trematode larvae. Qualitative data were used to analyze the similarity and the odds ratios between the environmental variables. In total, 1125 specimens were sampled, belonging to the following species: Biomphalaria glabrata, B. tenagophila, B. straminea, B. kuhniana, B. cousini, Biomphalaria sp., and Drepanotrema cimex (Planorbidae), Stenophysa marmorata (Physidae), Omalonyx sp. (Succineidae), Pseudosuccinea columella (Lymnaeidae), and Pomacea sp. (Ampullaridae). Echinostome, strigeocercaria, and xiphidiocercaria types of larval trematodes were detected in S. marmorata and D. cimex. Of note was the similarity in the distribution of S. marmorata, a supposedly endangered species, with that of the medically important Biomphalaria species, with the two sharing environments. This complex scenario led us to reflect on and discuss the need for the control of important intermediate hosts, as well as the conservation of endangered species. This relevant issue has not yet been discussed in detail, in Brazil or in other countries that recommend snail control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Snail-Borne Diseases)
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