Abundance, Distribution, and Diversity of Freshwater Snail and Prevalences of Their Infection by Cercaria of Fasciola gigantica and Schistosoma spp at Mayo-Vreck River, Far North Region of Cameroon

Augustin Siama; Serges Eteme Enama; Justin Kalmobe; Samuel Abah; Angele Foutchou; Alexandre Michel Njan Nloga

doi:10.1155/2023/9527349

Abundance, Distribution, and Diversity of Freshwater Snail and Prevalences of Their Infection by Cercaria of Fasciola gigantica and Schistosoma spp at Mayo-Vreck River, Far North Region of Cameroon

J Trop Med. 2023 Oct 20:2023:9527349. doi: 10.1155/2023/9527349. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Augustin Siama¹, Serges Eteme Enama², Justin Kalmobe¹, Samuel Abah³, Angele Foutchou⁴, Alexandre Michel Njan Nloga⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Pathology, School of Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Ngaoundere, Ngaoundere, Cameroon.
² Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon.
³ Special Mission of Tse-Tse Flies Eradication, Ngaoundere, Cameroon.
⁴ Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Ngaoundere, Ngaoundere, Cameroon.

Abstract

Malacological and parasitological studies were conducted from April 2020 to March 2021 to determine the abundance and distribution of molluscs and cercariae of Schistosoma spp and Fasciola gigantica. Collected molluscs are exposed to strong light to induce cercarial release. Mollusc densities were higher at station 1 (Gamak) than in station 8 (Patakai), with Bellamya unicolor and Biomphalaria pfeifferi more abundant and Bulinus truncatus, B. tropicus, and B. globosus less abundant. The overall prevalence of cercariae (19.87%) is higher in station 3 (Yaye orchard), station 9 (Gougni), station 4 (Madiogo), station 5 (Madiogo pasture), and station 6 (Ziam 3). It varies significantly between 15.76% in station 8 and 25.77% in station 3, between 8.48% in B. truncatus and 25.53% in B. globosus, and between 19.27% for cercariae of Schistosoma spp and 21.60% for those of F. gigantica. Cercarial emissions in L. natalensis and B. pfeifferi were higher in hot and cold dry seasons; on the other hand, cercarial emissions in B. globosus were higher in hot dry seasons (31.48%) and rainy seasons (23.38%). Emissions of cercariae from S. haematobium are related to areas of human activity and defecation, while those of F. gigantica in L. natalensis, Schistosoma haematobium in B. tropicus, and S. mansoni in B. pfeifferi are related to grazing areas. Mayo-Vreck is a site that favors the endemicity of fascioliasis and human schistosomiasis.