An alien intermediate snail host in Malawi - Orientogalba viridis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1832) - A new concern for schistosomiasis transmission in Africa?

ABSTRACT: The freshwater amphibious snail Orientogalba viridis commonly occurs in eastern Asia, on certain Pacific islands and more importantly has recently dispersed into Europe. Since this snail is now considered an invasive species, its distribution is of growing parasitological interest as an alien intermediate host for various trematodes, particularly liver flukes. As part of ongoing surveillance for snail-borne diseases in Malawi, a population of O. viridis was first observed in May 2023, alongside an alarming presence of a human schistosome cercaria. This snail population later underwent detailed morphological characterisation with both snail and parasite identities confirmed upon DNA barcoding. This seminal observation triggered more extensive local snail surveys, finding 3 fur

SUBMITTER: Juhasz A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10940764 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature