DETECTION OF GENETIC DIVERSITY WITHIN SNAIL INTERMEDIATE HOSTS OF THEGENUS BULINUS BY USING RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA MARKERS (RAPDS)

A polymerase chain reaction-based polymorphic assay procedure (RAPD) w as used to study the genetic diversity of intermediate host snails wit hin the genus Bulinus. Genetic differentiation was detected between tw o closely related species: Bulinus globosus and Bulinus umbilicatus. E vidence is presented demonstrating the potential of RAPD markers for d ifferentiating populations of B. forskalii from different countries (C ameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast) or from the same country ( Cameroon). RAPDs may be also used to identify offspring from cross- an d self-fertilized hermaphrodite bulinid snails: RAPDs provide a cost-e ffective and routine method for genetic studies of snails transmitting schistosomiasis and for the evaluation of diversity between snail pop ulations.