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

Juhász, Alexandra, Nkolokosa, C, Kambewa, E, Jones, Sam, Cunningham, Lucas, Chammudzi, P, Kapira, D, Namacha, G, Lally, D, Kayuni, Seke, Makaula, P, Musaya, J and Stothard, Russell ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9370-3420 (2024) 'An alien intermediate snail host in Malawi - Orientogalba viridis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1832) - A new concern for schistosomiasis transmission in Africa?'. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, Vol 23, p. 100919.

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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 further populations in separated rice paddies, with further field-caught snails (n = 465) screened for infection and a selection used for repeated experimental challenges with miracidia from Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mattheei. Although no field-caught (and experimentally exposed) snail was seen to shed schistosome cercariae, molecular xenomonitoring for schistosomiasis provided tangible evidence of putative transmission potential. Our first report of O. viridis here in Malawi, and more broadly in Africa, flags a need for increased vigilance for this invasive species alongside local clarification(s) of its transmission potential for trematodiases of either medical and/or veterinary importance.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	QX Parasitology > QX 20 Research (General) QX Parasitology > Helminths. Annelida > QX 355 Schistosoma QX Parasitology > QX 45 Host-parasite relations WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 810 Schistosomiasis
Faculty: Department:	Biological Sciences > Department of Tropical Disease Biology
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100919
SWORD Depositor:	JISC Pubrouter
Depositing User:	JISC Pubrouter
Date Deposited:	16 Apr 2024 14:20
Last Modified:	18 Apr 2024 09:23
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/24317

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