Paramphistomum daubneyi and Fasciola hepatica: the prevalence of natural or experimental infections in four species of freshwater snails in eastern France
F. Degueurce et al., Paramphistomum daubneyi and Fasciola hepatica: the prevalence of natural or experimental infections in four species of freshwater snails in eastern France, J HELMINTH, 73(3), 1999, pp. 197-202
Parasitological investigations were performed in July and September-October
1997 in six farms located in the department of Saone et Loire (eastern Fra
nce) to determine the prevalence of natural infections with Paramphistomum
daubneyi and Fasciola hepatica in four species of freshwater snails. Cercar
ia-containing rediae of P. daubneyi and/or F. hepatica were found in Lymnae
a palustris (one snail only) and Lymnaea truncatula. Some living sporocysts
and immature rediae were noted in Lymnaea ovata (P. daubneyi or F. hepatic
a) and in Physa acuta (P. daubneyi only). The prevalence of each trematode
infection was often less than 10%. Experimental infections of juvenile and
preadult snails (1 and 4 mm in height, respectively) were also performed to
test the susceptibility of these four snail species to P. daubneyi, either
singly or in combination with F. hepatica. Both 1 and 4 mm high L. truncat
ula could sustain the full development of P. daubneyi, whether in single or
double infections. Ln L. palustris dually exposed to both trematodes, cerc
aria-containing rediae of P. daubneyi were found in one juvenile and one pr
eadult snails, while immature infections were noted in ten juvenile and two
preadult snails. The overall prevalence of P, daubneyi infection in L. pal
ustris was 11.1% in juvenile snails and 2.1% in preadults. Larval forms of
P. daubneyi and F. hepatica were only noted in dually-exposed juvenile L. o
vata and P. acuta. Ln L. ovata, mature and immature rediae of F. hepatica w
ere detected in 17.6% of snails, while immature rediae of P. daubneyi were
noted in 4.4% of snails. In P. acuta, only immature infections were detecte
d (5.1% of snails with P. daubneyi, and 1.2% with F. hepatica). These resul
ts demonstrated that Lymnaea species other than L. truncatula could sustain
the full development of P. daubneyi and that immature larvae of this trema
tode might be found in naturally- or experimentally-infected L. ovata and P
. acuta.