Abstract
Schistosoma haematobium miracidia were detected in sentinel snails placed in 16 human water contact sites in the Volta Lake, each month from March 1973 to November 1977. Results showed that rates of infection were seasonal, and that infected snails were more often found in water contact sites sheltered by emergent plant growth than in exposed open beach sites with no emergent vegetation. Sentinel snail infection rates were correlated with natural snail infection rates and with epidemiological levels of schistosomiasis in village inhabitants. After two years of chemotherapy and mollusciciding, levels of disease and sentinel snail infection rates dropped in two-thirds of the villages. In the remaining villages, however, the sentinel snail infection rates were not correlated with the fall in epidemiological level, because of ecological changes in the water contact sites.
It is concluded that, unless control measures are continued, the constant changes in the lake shore environment will lead to a rapid re-establishment of previous levels of disease transmission.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Christie J. D., Upatham E. S. Control of Schistosoma mansoni transmission by chemotherapy in St. Lucia. II. Biological results. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1977 Sep;26(5 Pt 1):894–898. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1977.26.894. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- DiConza J. J., Basch P. F. Branched Schistosoma mansoni daughter sporocysts. J Parasitol. 1974 Jun;60(3):550–551. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HUSSEY K. L., STAHL W. B. Extensive abnormalities in larval trematode infection. J Parasitol. 1961 Jun;47:445–446. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Klumpp R. K., Chu K. Y. Ecological studies of Bulinus rohlfsi, the intermediate host of Schistosoma haematobium in the Volta Lake. Bull World Health Organ. 1977;55(6):715–730. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shiff C. J. Influence of light and depth on location of Bulinus (Physopsis) globosus by miracidia of Schistosoma haematobium. J Parasitol. 1969 Feb;55(1):108–110. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shiff C. J. Location of Bulinus (Physopsis) globosus by miracidia of Schistosoma haematobium. J Parasitol. 1968 Dec;54(6):1133–1140. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Upatham E. S. Effects of some physico-chemical factors on the infection of Biomphalaria glabrata (Say) by miracidia of Schistosoma mansoni Sambon in St. Lucia, West Indies. J Helminthol. 1972;46(4):305–315. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Upatham E. S. Exposure of caged Biomphalaria glabrata (Say) to investigate dispersion of miracidia of Schistosoma mansoni Sambon in outdoor habitats in St. Lucia. J Helminthol. 1972;46(4):297–306. doi: 10.1017/s0022149x00023294. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]