Cercarial shedding from Galba truncatula infected with Fasciola gigantica of distinct geographic origins.
Galba truncatula snails were experimentally infected with either of two different isolates of Fasciola gigantica, originating from Egypt or China, to determine the influence of these isolates on the characteristics of snail infections. The survival rates of G. truncatula on day 30 post-exposure were 90.0% and 60.2% in the Egyptian and Chinese groups, respectively. The frequency of cercaria-shedding snails within the Egyptian group was 79.8%, whereas in the Chinese group it was 22.4%. The parasite origin had a significant effect on the durations of the prepatent and patent periods. The mean number of cercariae shed from the Egyptian group was significantly greater than that shed from the Chinese group (a mean of 275.5 per cercaria-shedding snail compared with 29.0). These results could be explained by the fact that G. truncatula might be a natural intermediate host for F. gigantica in Egypt, and the greater adaptability of the Egyptian miracidia of F. gigantica to unusual snail hosts. These results demonstrate the influence of the geographic origin of the parasite on the success of trematodes infecting snails.
Dar
Y
Y
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Tanta, Tanta, Egypt.
Rondelaud
D
D
Dreyfuss
G
G
D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004534:Egypt; D005209:Fasciola / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000635:transmission; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*; D013045:Species Specificity