A first report of Pseudosuccinea columella (Say, 1817), an alien intermediate host for liver fluke, in Malawi

Jones, Sam, Juhász, Alexandra, Makaula, P., Cunningham, Lucas, Archer, John, Nkolokosa, C., Namacha, G., Kambewa, E., Lally, D., Kapira, D. R., Chammudzi, P., Kayuni, S. A., Musaya, J. and Stothard, Russell ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9370-3420 (2024) 'A first report of Pseudosuccinea columella (Say, 1817), an alien intermediate host for liver fluke, in Malawi'. Parasites & Vectors, Vol 17, Issue 1.

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Abstract

Starting in October 2021, quarterly malacological surveys have been undertaken in Malawi, with the sampling of 12 specified freshwater habitats throughout a calendar year. Each survey monitors the presence of aquatic intermediate snail hosts of medical and veterinary importance. In March 2023, the alien lymnaeid species Pseudosuccinea columella was encountered for the first time in the surveys, in Nsanje District. This species identity was later confirmed upon DNA analysis of mitochondrial ribosomal 16S sequences. In July 2023, P. columella was also noted at single sites within Mangochi and Chikwawa Districts, and again in Nsanje District, with an additional location observed. Of particular importance, our sampled location in Mangochi District was directly connected to Lake Malawi, which expands the species list of invasive molluscs in this lake. While P. columella is a well-known intermediate snail host for human and animal fascioliasis, screening collected snails for trematode cercariae, alongside molecular xenomonitoring, did not yield equivocal evidence of active fluke infection. However, the newly recognized presence of this alien intermediate snail host within Lake Malawi, and along the Shire River Valley, flags a new concern in altered local transmission potential for human and animal fascioliasis.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	QX Parasitology > QX 20 Research (General) QX Parasitology > Helminths. Annelida > QX 365 Fasciola QX Parasitology > QX 45 Host-parasite relations
Faculty: Department:	Biological Sciences > Department of Tropical Disease Biology
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06241-5
SWORD Depositor:	JISC Pubrouter
Depositing User:	JISC Pubrouter
Date Deposited:	22 Apr 2024 13:44
Last Modified:	22 Apr 2024 13:44
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/24384

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