Batillaria minima is a common snail in the coastal estuaries of Puerto Rico. This snail is host to a variety of trematodes, the most common being Cercaria caribbea XXXI, a microphallid species that uses crabs as second intermediate hosts. The prevalence of infection was higher (7.1%) near mangroves than on mudflats away from mangroves (1.4%). Similarly, there was a significant positive associat...

Trematode communities in populations of estuarine snails can reflect surrounding animal diversity, abundance, and trophic interactions. We know less about the potential for trematodes to serve as bioindicators in other habitats. Here, we reanalyze data from 2 published studies concerning trematodes, 1 in the Chilean rocky intertidal zone and the other from the East African rift lake, Lake Tanga...

23 Detailed studies of host/parasite interactions are currently limited because in-situ gene 24 sequencing or monitoring of parasite gene expression is so far limited to genes presenting a 25 high loci copy number in the Schistosome genome or a high level of expression. Indeed, how 26 to investigate the host parasite molecular interplay when parasites are not directly accessible 27 in vivo? Her...

background: in view of the massive rural-to-urban migration in nigeria, investigations on transmission of urinary schistosomiasis were carried out in ur-ban and semi-urban communities in nike lake area of enugu state, nigeria. methods : urine samples of school children were tested for micro-haematuria using reagent strips followed by microscopic examination for schistosoma haematobium eggs. wat...

Cercarial behavior patterns were examined in 4 species of frog lung flukes (Haematoloechus spp.). Cercariae of Haematoloechus complexus, Haematoloechus medioplexus, Haematoloechus longiplexus, and Haematoloechus varioplexus were exposed to 3 species of experimental arthropods and an inanimate control. The number of cercariae attached to an experimental host at 5 min postexposure was recorded. H...

Estuarine snails Ilyanassa obsoleta bearing larvae of the trematode Gynaecotyla adunca behave singularly in comparison with conspecifics lacking this parasite. Following high tides, and especially at night, infected snails were found stranded high on beaches and sandbars. Semiterrestrial crustaceans living well up on the shore serve as the next host, and the modified (induced) snail behavior is...

Schistosomiasis japonica, transmitted by the intermediate host snail Oncomelania hupensis of the causative agent Schistosoma japonicum, remains a major public-health concern in China, and control of this snail is one of the major approaches used in attempts to interrupt the transmission of this neglected tropical disease. Niclosamide is currently the only commercial molluscicide available for t...

Schistosomiasis is an important parasitic disease that infects humans. Among the main species of schistosomes infecting humans is Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium. Snails of various genera, such as Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncates, act as intermediate hosts and play a major role in the transmission of schistosomes. Transmission from human to snail is under the influence of t...

In schistosomiasis, the host/parasite interaction remains not completely understood. Many questions related to the susceptibility of snails to infection by respective trematode still remain unanswered. The control of schistosomiasis requires a good understanding of the host/parasite association. In this work, the susceptibility/resistance to Schistosoma mansoni infection within Biomphalaria ale...

Human-induced growth of macro-algae is often assumed to increase trematode infections in fishes by increasing the abundance and condition of the parasite’s intermediate host – snails – as this can boost the release of trematode larvae, cercariae, from the intermediate hosts. However, macro-algae can also impose barriers to the transmission of cercariae and reduce infections. We investigated whe...