Effect of water plants and non-target snails on the infectivity of Bulinus truncatus with Schistosoma haematobium.
The application of the water plant (Ceratophyllum demersum, Eichhornia crassipes and Lemna gibba) and/or non-target snails (Planorbis planorbis, Physa acuta and Melanoides tuberculata) gave a significant degree of reduction in the infection rate of B. truncatus subjected to S. haematobium miracidia. The data also indicated a reduction in mean total number of cercarial production/snail. However, no significant difference was detected in the prepatent period and duration of cercarial shedding of the parasite when compared with the control group. So, the results revealed that the snails exhibited a competitive ability against B. truncatus. Both survival rate and egg production of B. truncatus were greatly reduced when existed in mixed cultures with non-target snails and the magnitude of this reduction increased by increasing the number of the non-target snails.
Bakry
Fayez A
FA
Department of Medical Malacology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Imbaba, Giza.
Abd-el-Monem
Sayed
S
D000818:Animals; D002033:Bulinus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000469:parasitology*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000254:growth & development*; D012908:Snails / Q000502:physiology*