Schistosoma intercalatum from Cameroon and Zaïre: chronobiological differentiation of cercarial emergence.
An experimental study of the cercarial emergence rhythm was conducted to compare 2 geographical strains of Schistosoma intercalatum from Cameroon and Zaïre. For the Cameroon strain, the peak emergence time was between 1300 hr and 1400 hr, and the mean emergence time was 1359 hr. For the Zaïre strain, the peak emergence time was between 1200 hr and 1300 hr, and the mean emergence time was 1213 hr. These results were shown to be significantly different by statistical analysis. Thus, the chronobiology of the emergence rhythms of the cercariae seems to be an additional marker to estimate the genetic variability of this species and to characterize the 2 strains.
Laboratoire de Biologie Animale (URA CNRS 698), Centre de Biologie et d'Ecologie Tropical et Méditerranéenne, Université, Perpignan, France.
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JR
Pagès
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Théron
D000818:Animals; D002163:Cameroon; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D012547:Schistosoma / Q000502:physiology*; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*