Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-cx56b Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-02T17:01:28.241Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of snail size on encystment of Echinostoma caproni in juvenile Biomphalaria glabrata (NMRI strain) and observations on the survival of infected snails

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2024

J.L. Schneck
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Lafayette College, Easton, PA 18042, USA
B. Fried*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Lafayette College, Easton, PA 18042, USA
*
*Fax: (610) 330-5705 Email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The effects of snail size on encystment of Echinostoma caproni cercariae in neonatal and juvenile Biomphalaria glabrata (NMRI strain) snails were studied. Encystment in neonatal (0.7–1.1 mm shell diameter) and juvenile (2–3 mm shell diameter) snails was compared 24 h post-infection (PI) following individual exposure of snails of each size to 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cercariae. Significantly more cysts were recovered from juveniles exposed to 1, 5, 10 and 50 cercariae than from neonatals with comparable exposure. Size of B. glabrata was a major factor in determining cyst burden in this planorbid. Survival of infected versus uninfected neonatals and juveniles was also examined for 7 days. Neonatals exposed to 10 cercariae showed a significant decrease in survival at 3, 6 and 7 days PI when compared to the uninfected controls. There was no significant decrease in the survival of juveniles exposed to 10 cercariae compared to uninfected controls at any time point. Snail size was a factor in mortality associated with echinostome cercarial penetration and encystment.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

References

Frazer, B.A. & Fried, B. (1998) Single-species infections of Echinostoma caproni cercariae in pulmonate snails and concurrent infections of E. caproni and Echinostoma trivolvis cercariae in Biomphalaria glabrata . International Journal for Parasitology 28, 595597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fried, B. & Huffman, J.E. (1996) The biology of the intestinal trematode Echinostoma caproni . Advances in Parasitology 38, 311368.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Idris, N. & Fried, B. (1996) Developing, hatching, and infectivity of Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda) eggs, and histologic and histochemical observations on the miracidia. Parasitology Research 82, 136142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuris, A.M. & Warren, J. (1980) Echinostome cercarial penetration and metacercarial encystment as mortality factors for a second intermediate host, Biomphalaria glabrata . Journal of Parasitology 66, 630635.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sullivan, J.J. (1985) Juvenile snails as hosts for echinostome metacercariae. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 16, 343344.Google Scholar
Ulmer, M.J. (1970) Notes on rearing of snails in the laboratory. pp. 143144 in MacInnis, A.J. & Voge, M. (Eds) Experiments and techniques in parasitology. San Francisco, Freeman.Google Scholar