Differentiation of Bulinus senegalensis and Bulinus forskalii Snails in West Africa Using Morphometric Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Accurate identification of medically important intermediate host and vector species is crucial for understanding disease transmission and control. Identifying Bulinus snails which act as intermediate host species for the transmission of schistosomiasis is typically undertaken using conchological and genital morphology as well as molecular methods.

Methods

Here, a landmark-based morphometric analysis of shell morphology was undertaken to determine its utility to distinguish the closely related and morphologically similar sister species Bulinus senegalensis and Bulinus forskalii. The method was developed to increase the accuracy of conchological morphology methods to identify Bulinus species in the field. Both species are found in West Africa, but only B. senegalensis

SUBMITTER: Andrus PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11001693 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature