Schistosomes in the north: a unique finding from a prosobranch snail using molecular tools.
Samples of schistosome cercariae from three different snail species (Lymnaea stagnalis, Radix auricularia and Valvata (Tropidina) macrostoma) collected from lakes in Central Finland were analyzed using molecular techniques. Based on sequences of ITS region of rDNA, the parasite isolates from L. stagnalis and R. auricularia belong to Trichobilharzia szidati and T. franki, respectively. This confirms a wide distribution of these two species in Europe. On the other hand, the isolates from V. macrostoma represent a unique finding--they belong to yet unknown schistosome species falling into the bird schistosome clade. Therefore, identification of natural final hosts and morphological characterization of particular developmental stages need to be performed in the future.
Charles University in Prague, Department of Parasitology, Vinicná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic. atacama@centrum.cz
Jitka Asma
JA
Aldhoun
Anna
A
Faltýnková
Anssi
A
Karvonen
Petr
P
Horák
D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000032:analysis; D008195:Lymnaea / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012551:Schistosomatidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*
D018509:DNA, Helminth; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer