Climate change could fuel urinary schistosomiasis transmission in Africa and Europe.

The freshwater snail Bulinus truncatus is an important intermediate host for trematode parasites causing urogenital schistosomiasis, a tropical disease affecting over 150 million people. Despite its medical importance, uncertainty remains about its global distribution and the potential impacts of climate change on its future spread. Here, we investigate the distribution of B. truncatus, combining the outputs of correlative and mechanistic modelling methods to fully capitalize on both experimental and occurrence data of the species and to create a more reliable distribution forecast than ever constructed. We constructed ensemble correlative species distribution models using 273 occurrence points collected from different sources and a combination of climatic and (bio)physical environmental variables. Additionally, a mechanistic thermal suitability model was constructed, parameterized by recent life-history data obtained through extensive lab-based snail-temperature experiments and supplemented with an extensive literature review. Our findings reveal that the current suitable habitat for B. truncatus encompasses the Sahel region, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean segment of Africa, stretching from Southern Europe to Mozambique. Regions identified as suitable by both methods generally coincide with areas exhibiting high urogenital schistosomiasis prevalence. Model projections into the future suggest an overall net increase in suitable area of up to 17%. New suitable habitat is in Southern Europe, the Middle East, and large parts of Central Africa, while suitable habitat will be lost in the Sahel region. The change in snail habitat suitability may substantially increase the risk of urogenital schistosomiasis transmission in parts of Africa and Southern Europe while reducing it in the Sahel region.

Differentiation between Bulinus truncatus and Bulinus hexaploidus by morphological characters, chromosomal study and compatibility with Schistosoma haematobium.

Schistosomiasis is a snail-born, neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by blood flukes (trematode worms) of the genusSchistosoma. It is the second most socioeconomically devastating parasitic disease after malaria. Urogenital schistosomiasis is caused by Schistosoma haematobium which is transmitted by snail intermediate host of the genus Bulinus. This genus is a model system for the study of polyploidy in animals. This study aims to investigate ploidy levels existing among the Bulinus species and their compatibility with S. haematobium. The specimens were collected from two governorates in Egypt. Chromosomal preparation was made from gonad tissue (ovotestis). This study found two ploidy levels (tetraploid, n = 36 and hexaploid, n = 54) of B. truncatus/tropicus complex in Egypt. Tetraploid B. truncatus was found in El-Beheira governorate while-unexpectedly and for the first time in Egypt, the hexaploid population was found in Giza governorate. This identification focused on shell morphology, chromosomal count, and spermatozoa of each species. Afterward, all species were exposed to S. haematobium miracidia where B. hexaploidus snails were the only refractory species. The histopathological study showed early destruction and abnormal development of S. haematobium in B. hexaploidus tissues. In addition, the hematological investigation showed increasing in the total hemocyte count, the formation of vacuoles, several pseudopodia, and more dense granules in the hemocytes of infected B. hexaploidus snails. In conclusion, there were two types of snails one was refractory and the other was susceptible.

Precision mapping of snail habitat provides a powerful indicator of human schistosomiasis transmission.

Recently, the World Health Organization recognized that efforts to interrupt schistosomiasis transmission through mass drug administration have been ineffective in some regions; one of their new recommended strategies for global schistosomiasis control emphasizes targeting the freshwater snails that transmit schistosome parasites. We sought to identify robust indicators that would enable precision targeting of these snails. At the site of the world's largest recorded schistosomiasis epidemic-the Lower Senegal River Basin in Senegal-intensive sampling revealed positive relationships between intermediate host snails (abundance, density, and prevalence) and human urogenital schistosomiasis reinfection (prevalence and intensity in schoolchildren after drug administration). However, we also found that snail distributions were so patchy in space and time that obtaining useful data required effort that exceeds what is feasible in standard monitoring and control campaigns. Instead, we identified several environmental proxies that were more effective than snail variables for predicting human infection: the area covered by suitable snail habitat (i.e., floating, nonemergent vegetation), the percent cover by suitable snail habitat, and size of the water contact area. Unlike snail surveys, which require hundreds of person-hours per site to conduct, habitat coverage and site area can be quickly estimated with drone or satellite imagery. This, in turn, makes possible large-scale, high-resolution estimation of human urogenital schistosomiasis risk to support targeting of both mass drug administration and snail control efforts.

Predicting the habitat suitability of Schistosoma intermediate host Bulinus truncatus, its predatory aquatic insect Odonata nymph, and the associated aquatic plant Ceratophyllum demersum using MaxEnt.

Schistosomiasis is one of the most important parasitic diseases in tropical and subtropical areas. Its prevalence is associated with the distribution of freshwater snails, which are their intermediate hosts. Thus, control of freshwater snails is the solution to reduce the transmission of this disease. This will be achieved by understanding the relationship between the snails and their habitats including natural enemies and associated aquatic plants as well as the factors affecting their distribution. In this study, Maximum Entropy model (MaxEnt) was used for mapping and predicting the possible geographic distribution of Bulinus truncatus snail (the intermediate host of Schistosoma haematobium), Odonata nymph (predatory aquatic insect), and Ceratophyllum demersum (the associated aquatic plant) in Egypt based on topographic and climatic factors. The models of the investigated species were evaluated using the area under receiver operating characteristic curve. The results showed that the potential risk areas were along the banks of the Nile River and its irrigation canals. In addition, the MaxEnt models revealed some similarities in the distribution pattern of the vector, the predator, and the aquatic plant. It is obvious that the predictive distribution range of B. truncatus was affected by altitude, precipitation seasonality, isothermality, and mean temperature of warmest quarter. The presence of B. truncatus decreases with the increase of altitude and precipitation seasonality values. It could be concluded that the MaxEnt model could help introducing a predictive risk map for Schistosoma haematobium prevalence and performing better management strategies for schistosomiasis.

Invasive snails, parasite spillback, and potential parasite spillover drive parasitic diseases of Hippopotamus amphibius in artificial lakes of Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND: Humans impose a significant pressure on large herbivore populations, such as hippopotami, through hunting, poaching, and habitat destruction. Anthropogenic pressures can also occur indirectly, such as artificial lake creation and the subsequent introduction of invasive species that alter the ecosystem. These events can lead to drastic changes in parasite diversity and transmission, but generally receive little scientific attention. RESULTS: In order to document and identify trematode parasites of the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in artificial water systems of Zimbabwe, we applied an integrative taxonomic approach, combining molecular diagnostics and morphometrics on archived and new samples. In doing so, we provide DNA reference sequences of the hippopotamus liver fluke Fasciola nyanzae, enabling us to construct the first complete Fasciola phylogeny. We describe parasite spillback of F. nyanzae by the invasive freshwater snail Pseudosuccinea columella, as a consequence of a cascade of biological invasions in Lake Kariba, one of the biggest artificial lakes in the world. Additionally, we report an unknown stomach fluke of the hippopotamus transmitted by the non-endemic snail Radix aff. plicatula, an Asian snail species that has not been found in Africa before, and the stomach fluke Carmyerius cruciformis transmitted by the native snail Bulinus truncatus. Finally, Biomphalaria pfeifferi and two Bulinus species were found as new snail hosts for the poorly documented hippopotamus blood fluke Schistosoma edwardiense. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that artificial lakes are breeding grounds for endemic and non-endemic snails that transmit trematode parasites of the common hippopotamus. This has important implications, as existing research links trematode parasite infections combined with other stressors to declining wild herbivore populations. Therefore, we argue that monitoring the anthropogenic impact on parasite transmission should become an integral part of wildlife conservation efforts.

Mastomys natalensis (Smith, 1834) as a natural host for Schistosoma haematobium (Bilharz, 1852) Weinland, 1858 x Schistosoma bovis Sonsino, 1876 introgressive hybrids.

Cercarial emission of schistosomes is a determinant in the transmission to the definitive host and constitutes a good marker to identify which definitive host is responsible for transmission, mainly in introgressive hybridization situations. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that micro-mammals play a role in Schistosoma haematobium, S. bovis, and/or S. haematobium x S. bovis transmission. Small mammal sampling was conducted in seven semi-lacustrine villages of southern Benin. Among the 62 animals trapped, 50 individuals were investigated for Schistosoma adults and eggs: 37 Rattus rattus, 3 Rattus norvegicus, 9 Mastomys natalensis, and 1 Crocidura olivieri. Schistosoma adults were found in four R. rattus and two M. natalensis, with a local prevalence reaching 80% and 50%, respectively. Two cercarial chronotypes were found from Bulinus globosus experimentally infected with miracidia extracted from naturally infected M. natalensis: a late diurnal and nocturnal chronotype, and an early diurnal, late diurnal, and nocturnal chronotype. The cytochrome C oxidase subunit I mtDNA gene of the collected schistosomes (adults, miracidia, and cercariae) belonged to the S. bovis clade. Eleven internal transcribed spacer rDNA profiles were found; four belonged to S. bovis and seven to S. haematobium x S. bovis. These molecular results together with the observed multi-peak chronotypes add M. natalensis as a new host implicated in S. haematobium x S. bovis transmission. We discuss the origin of the new chronotypes which have become more complex with the appearance of several peaks in a 24-h day. We also discuss how the new populations of offspring may optimize intra-host ecological niche, host spectrum, and transmission time period.

Population Dynamics of Intermediate-Host Snails in the White Nile River, Sudan: A Year-Round Observational Descriptive Study.

We aimed to explore the population dynamics of snail in 3 sites of the White Nile in Sudan. More specifically, we aimed to investigate the annual patterns of snail populations that act as intermediate hosts of schistosomes and monthly snail infection rates and ecological characteristics presumably related to snail populations. We collected snails for 1 year monthly at 3 different shore sites in the vicinity of El Shajara along the White Nile river in Khartoum State, Sudan. In addition, we measured air and water temperatures, water turbidities, vegetation coverages, and water depths and current speeds. Most of the collected snails were Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Bulinus truncatus. The population densities of snails and their infection rates varied across survey sites. The collected snails liberated S. mansoni and S. haematobium cercariae as well as Amphistome and Echinostome cercariae. Infected snails were found during March-June. The ecological characteristics found to be associated with the absence of snails population were: high turbidity, deep water, low vegetation coverage (near absence of vegetation), high water temperature, and high current speed. To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study of the snail population and ecological characteristics in the main basin of the White Nile river.

Hydrology and density feedbacks control the ecology of intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis across habitats in seasonal climates.

We report about field and theoretical studies on the ecology of the aquatic snails (Bulinus spp. and Biomphalaria pfeifferi) that serve as obligate intermediate hosts in the complex life cycle of the parasites causing human schistosomiasis. Snail abundance fosters disease transmission, and thus the dynamics of snail populations are critically important for schistosomiasis modeling and control. Here, we single out hydrological drivers and density dependence (or lack of it) of ecological growth rates of local snail populations by contrasting novel ecological and environmental data with various models of host demography. Specifically, we study various natural and man-made habitats across Burkina Faso's highly seasonal climatic zones. Demographic models are ranked through formal model comparison and structural risk minimization. The latter allows us to evaluate the suitability of population models while clarifying the relevant covariates that explain empirical observations of snail abundance under the actual climatic forcings experienced by the various field sites. Our results link quantitatively hydrological drivers to distinct population dynamics through specific density feedbacks, and show that statistical methods based on model averaging provide reliable snail abundance projections. The consistency of our ranking results suggests the use of ad hoc models of snail demography depending on habitat type (e.g., natural vs. man-made) and hydrological characteristics (e.g., ephemeral vs. permanent). Implications for risk mapping and space-time allocation of control measures in schistosomiasis-endemic contexts are discussed.

Occurrence of Schistosoma bovis on Pemba Island, Zanzibar: implications for urogenital schistosomiasis transmission monitoring.

The causative agent of urogenital schistosomiasis, Schistosoma haematobium, was thought to be the only schistosome species transmitted through Bulinus snails on Unguja and Pemba Island (Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania). For insights into the environmental risk of S. haematobium transmission on Pemba Island, malacological surveys collecting Bulinus globosus and B. nasutus, two closely related potential intermediate hosts of S. haematobium were conducted across the island in November 2016. Of 1317 B. globosus/B. nasutus collected, seven B. globosus, identified through sequencing a DNA region of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), were observed with patent infections assumed to be S. haematobium. However, when the collected cercariae were identified through sequencing a region of the cox1 and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 + 2), schistosomes from five of these B. globosus collected from a single locality were in fact S. bovis. The identified presence of S. bovis raises concerns for animal health on Pemba, and complicates future transmission monitoring of S. haematobium. These results show the pertinence for not only sensitive, but also species-specific markers to be used when identifying cercariae during transmission monitoring, and also provide the first molecular confirmation for B. globosus transmitting S. bovis in East Africa.

Prospects for the elimination of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis: exploring disease trends through time at the Barombi crater lakes, South-West Cameroon.

In Cameroon, there is a national programme engaged in the control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. In certain locations, the programme is transitioning from morbidity control towards local interruption of parasite transmission. The volcanic crater lake villages of Barombi Mbo and Barombi Kotto are well-known transmission foci and are excellent context-specific locations to assess appropriate disease control interventions. Most recently they have served as exemplars of expanded access to deworming medications and increased environmental surveillance. In this paper, we review infection dynamics through time, beginning with data from 1953, and comment on the short- and long-term success of disease control. We show how intensification of local control is needed to push towards elimination and that further environmental surveillance, with targeted snail control, is needed to consolidate gains in preventive chemotherapy as well as empower local communities to take ownership of interventions.

Persistence of schistosomal transmission linked to the Cavu river in southern Corsica since 2013.

Seven cases of urogenital schistosomiasis occurred in Corsica in 2015 and 2016. The episodes were related to exposure to the same river and involved the same parasite strain as an outbreak with 106 cases in summer 2013. The connection calls for further investigations on the presence of an animal reservoir and the survival of infested snails during winter. However, recontamination of the river from previously infected bathers remains the most likely hypothesis.

Biological control of snail hosts transmitting schistosomiasis by the water bug, Sphaerodema urinator.

The water bug, Sphaerodema urinator (Hemiptera : Belostomatidae), shares the same habitat of the freshwater snails in ponds, lakes, and streams. Studies conducted in lakes show that fish and crayfish predators play an important role in determining the abundance of freshwater snails. In contrast, shallow ponds and marches often lack fish and crayfish but have abundant insect predators. This study has been carried out to evaluate the predatory potential of S. urinator adult on two freshwater snails that serves as intermediate hosts of Schistosoma. Laboratory evaluation of predation by S. urinator on these intermediate hosts revealed that the adult bug could kill and consume the two intermediate hosts: Bulinus truncatus and Biomphalaria alexandrina. The number of snails consumed differed according to the snail type, size, and density. The times taken for searching and handling times were depending on the snail size, type, and vulnerability of the predator. The predation rate varied also with respect to snail type and density. Prey size is a major factor influencing predator preferences. This study indicated that the predator, S. urinator, may be a suitable bio-control agent in connection with Schistosoma intermediate hosts in the aquatic area.

Infection with schistosome parasites in snails leads to increased predation by prawns: implications for human schistosomiasis control.

Schistosomiasis - a parasitic disease that affects over 200 million people across the globe - is primarily transmitted between human definitive hosts and snail intermediate hosts. To reduce schistosomiasis transmission, some have advocated disrupting the schistosome life cycle through biological control of snails, achieved by boosting the abundance of snails' natural predators. But little is known about the effect of parasitic infection on predator-prey interactions, especially in the case of schistosomiasis. Here, we present the results of laboratory experiments performed on Bulinus truncatus and Biomphalaria glabrata snails to investigate: (i) rates of predation on schistosome-infected versus uninfected snails by a sympatric native river prawn, Macrobrachium vollenhovenii, and (ii) differences in snail behavior (including movement, refuge-seeking and anti-predator behavior) between infected and uninfected snails. In predation trials, prawns showed a preference for consuming snails infected with schistosome larvae. In behavioral trials, infected snails moved less quickly and less often than uninfected snails, and were less likely to avoid predation by exiting the water or hiding under substrate. Although the mechanism by which the parasite alters snail behavior remains unknown, these results provide insight into the effects of parasitic infection on predator-prey dynamics and suggest that boosting natural rates of predation on snails may be a useful strategy for reducing transmission in schistosomiasis hotspots.

RETRACTED: Glyphosate herbicide induces genotoxic effect and physiological disturbances in Bulinus truncatus snails.

Herbicides are being used in agriculture for controlling noxious weed. Glyphosate is a herbicide that is widely applied to cereal crops in Egypt and is used in controlling a very broad spectrum of weeds. The present study was designed to investigate the response of the snail Bulinus truncatus as a bioindicator for physiological and molecular aspects of B. truncatus snails after exposure to sublethal concentrations of glyphosate for two weeks. In treating snails, glucose concentration (GL) in the haemolymph as well as lactate (LT) in soft tissues of treated snails increased, while glycogen (GN), pyruvate (PV), total protein (TP), nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) levels in snail's tissues decreased. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), glycogen phosphorylase (GP), glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) enzymes in homogenate of snail's tissues were reduced in response to the treatment with the herbicide, while lipid peroxide (LP), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and transaminases (GOT and GPT) activity increased (P < 0.001). The changes in the number, position and intensity of DNA bands induced by glyphosate herbicide may be attributed to the fact that the herbicide can induce genotoxicity through DNA damage. Thus, the present result indicated that the genotoxicity products at low concentration and for long time treatment showed the hazard of herbicide addiction on man's life.

Phylogeny of seven Bulinus species originating from endemic areas in three African countries, in relation to the human blood fluke Schistosoma haematobium.

BACKGROUND: Snails species belonging to the genus Bulinus (Planorbidae) serve as intermediate host for flukes belonging to the genus Schistosoma (Digenea, Platyhelminthes). Despite its importance in the transmission of these parasites, the evolutionary history of this genus is still obscure. In the present study, we used the partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene, and the nuclear ribosomal ITS, 18S and 28S genes to investigate the haplotype diversity and phylogeny of seven Bulinus species originating from three endemic countries in Africa (Cameroon, Senegal and Egypt). RESULTS: The cox1 region showed much more variation than the ribosomal markers within Bulinus sequences. High levels of genetic diversity were detected at all loci in the seven studied species, with clear segregation between individuals and appearance of different haplotypes, even within same species from the same locality. Sequences clustered into two lineages; (A) groups Bulinus truncatus, B. tropicus, B. globosus and B. umbilicatus; while (B) groups B. forskalii, B. senegalensis and B. camerunensis. Interesting patterns emerge regarding schistosome susceptibility: Bulinus species with lower genetic diversity are predicted to have higher infection prevalence than those with greater diversity in host susceptibility. CONCLUSION: The results reported in this study are very important since a detailed understanding of the population genetic structure of Bulinus is essential to understand the epidemiology of many schistosome parasites.

Trematode-associated morbidity and mortality of tadpoles in Israel.

Amphibians stand at the forefront of the global biodiversity crisis. The causes of their decline are diverse and include a rise in amphibian malformations due to various factors, especially trematode infection. However, linking amphibian mortality and morbidity with trematode infection has proven to be challenging due to the complex life cycle of the trematodes and the fact that trematodes are nonfastidious in their choice of definitive hosts. In Israel, the decline in local amphibian populations has been mostly attributed to the loss and degradation of wetlands and riparian habitats. Recently, however, there have been several reports of morbidity and mortality of tadpoles with signs of edema and malformations from various localities in Israel. We collected dead and morbid tadpoles and metamorphs of Hyla savignyi and Pelophylax bedriagae, and we showed that the morbidity and the deformations observed in the field are the result of infection by trematodes. We also isolated an echinostomatid trematode from the malformed and edematous tadpoles and from the freshwater snail Bulinus truncatus, all from the same site. We further succeeded in experimentally infecting H. savignyi tadpoles by echinostomatid cercariae that were shed from the snails, and we showed that infection had significantly increased the mortality rates of these tadpoles. The combination of high trematode prevalence and their pathogenic effects suggests that in nature, the effect of echinostome infection on amphibians may be substantial and could become an emerging disease in Israel.

Differentiation of Bulinus senegalensis and Bulinus forskalii Snails in West Africa Using Morphometric Analysis.

PURPOSE: Accurate identification of medically important intermediate host and vector species is crucial for understanding disease transmission and control. Identifying Bulinus snails which act as intermediate host species for the transmission of schistosomiasis is typically undertaken using conchological and genital morphology as well as molecular methods. METHODS: Here, a landmark-based morphometric analysis of shell morphology was undertaken to determine its utility to distinguish the closely related and morphologically similar sister species Bulinus senegalensis and Bulinus forskalii. The method was developed to increase the accuracy of conchological morphology methods to identify Bulinus species in the field. Both species are found in West Africa, but only B. senegalensis is implicated in the transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis. RESULTS: We found when scaled down to the same length, 3-whorl and 4-whorl (juvenile) B. senegalensis shells had a longer spire, narrower body whorl and shorter aperture than B. forskalii. In contrast, 5-whorl (adult) B. senegalensis had a shorter spire, but still had a shorter aperture and narrower body whorl than B. forskalii. Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) showed minimal overlap between B. senegalensis and B. forskalii for 3-whorl and 4-whorl shells, with a clear separation for 5-whorl shells. Overall, B. senegalensis had a consistently shorter aperture size and narrower body whorl than B. forskalii for all development stages. Spire length was variable depending on the stage of development, with 3-whorl and 4-whorl shells having the opposite trends of adult shells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the applicability of landmark-based morphometrics in distinguishing the medically important, Bulinus senegalensis from its morphologically similar sister species, Bulinus forskalii. We recommend using measurements based on spire length, penultimate whorl length, body whorl width and aperture size to differentiate B. senegalensis and B. forskalii, when used with the appropriate information for each shell's development stage.

Molecular detection of Schistosoma haematobium in infected Bulinus truncatus snails associated with immune response.

Schistosomiasis is one of the most common waterborne parasite illnesses, it is a major public health issue in developing countries. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique is used to find Schistosoma haematobium DNA in Bulinus truncatus, which could speed up the discovery of infections before cercariae are shed. DraI-PCR detected S. haematobium infection at different infection intervals with bands at 300 bp in shedding snails 40 days after exposure and even on the first day after B. turancuts snails exposure to miracidia. Transmission electron microscopy showed the structure of sporocyst from 1 to 40 days post-exposure and activated hemocytes in infected non-shedding snails as well as sporocyst degradation. Flow cytometry was used to measure the percentage of Bax and TGF-ß1 positive stained cells that have been linked with infection progression. In conclusion, molecular tools and immune response play an important role in the strategy of controlling schistosomiasis through the early detection of larval stages in intermediate hosts toward certification of schistosomiasis elimination. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: DraI-PCR allowed early detection of S. haematobium at 300 bp in B. truncatus snail. Transmission electron microscopy showed the structure of S. haematobium sporocyst in snail and activated hemocytes in non-shedding snail. Bax protein that induced apoptotic changes and Transforming Growth Factor Beta1 level have been linked with parasite development.

Transcriptional profiling of Bulinus globosus provides insights into immune gene families in snails supporting the transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis, urogenital and intestinal, afflicts 251 million people worldwide with approximately two-thirds of the patients suffering from the urogenital form of the disease. Freshwater snails of the genus Bulinus (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) serve as obligate intermediate hosts for Schistosoma haematobium, the etiologic agent of human urogenital schistosomiasis. These snails also act as vectors for the transmission of schistosomiasis in livestock and wildlife. Despite their crucial role in human and veterinary medicine, our basic understanding at the molecular level of the entire Bulinus genus, which comprises 37 recognized species, is very limited. In this study, we employed Illumina-based RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to profile the genome-wide transcriptome of Bulinus globosus, one of the most important intermediate hosts for S. haematobium in Africa. A total of 179,221 transcripts (N50 = 1,235) were assembled and the benchmarking universal single-copy orthologs (BUSCO) was estimated to be 97.7%. The analysis revealed a substantial number of transcripts encoding evolutionarily conserved immune-related proteins, particularly C-type lectin (CLECT) domain-containing proteins (n = 316), Toll/Interleukin 1-receptor (TIR)-containing proteins (n = 75), and fibrinogen related domain-containing molecules (FReD) (n = 165). Notably, none of the FReDs are fibrinogen-related proteins (FREPs) (immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) + fibrinogen (FBG)). This RNAseq-based transcriptional profile provides new insights into immune capabilities of Bulinus snails, helps provide a framework to explain the complex patterns of compatibility between snails and schistosomes, and improves our overall understanding of comparative immunology.

Impact of Schistosoma sp., Infection on Biological, Feeding, Physiological, Histological, and Genotoxicological Aspects of Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus Snails.

BACKGROUND: Trematode infections of the genus Schistosoma can induce physiological and behavioral changes in intermediate snail hosts. This is because the parasite consumes essential resources necessary for the host's survival, prompting hosts to adapt their behavior to maintain some level of fitness before parasite-induced mortality occurs. METHODS: In this study, the reproductive and biochemical parameters of Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus were examined during the cercareal shedding stage of infection with Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium, respectively, compared with controls. RESULTS: The study revealed an infection rate of 34.7% for S. mansoni and 30.4% for S. haematobium. In B. alexandrina infected with S. mansoni, a survival rate of 65.2% was recorded, along with a mean prepatent period of 30.3 ± 1.41 days, a mean shedding duration of 14.2 ± 0.16 days, and a mean lifespan of 44.1 ± 0.24 days. Meanwhile, in B. truncatus infected with S. haematobium, a survival rate of 56.4% was observed, with a mean prepatent period of 44.3 ± 1.41 days, a mean shedding duration of 22.6 ± 2.7 days, and a mean lifespan of 66.9 ± 1.6 days. Feeding increased in both infected species of snails, while the net reproductive rate (Ro) of the infected snails decreased. Total antioxidant (TAO) and lipid peroxidation activity increased in the two infected snail species during shedding, while Glutathione-S-transferase levels decreased. Lipid peroxidase activity and nitrogen oxide levels significantly decreased in infected B. alexandrina and increased in infected Bulinus. Steroid hormone levels were elevated in infected Biomphalaria, whereas they were reduced in infected Bulinus. Comet assay parameters showed an increase in the two infected genera after infection compared to control snails, indicating genotoxic damage and histopathological damage was observed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that infection with larva species diverse biochemical, hormonal, genotoxic, and histopathological changes in the tissues responsible for fecundity and reproduction in B. alexandrina and B. truncates comparing with controls.