To Reduce the Global Burden of Human Schistosomiasis, Use 'Old Fashioned' Snail Control

Susanne H Sokolow; Chelsea L Wood; Isabel J Jones; Kevin D Lafferty; Armand M Kuris; Michael H Hsieh; Giulio A De Leo

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2017.10.002

To Reduce the Global Burden of Human Schistosomiasis, Use 'Old Fashioned' Snail Control

Trends Parasitol. 2018 Jan;34(1):23-40. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.10.002. Epub 2017 Nov 7.

Authors

Susanne H Sokolow¹, Chelsea L Wood², Isabel J Jones³, Kevin D Lafferty⁴, Armand M Kuris⁵, Michael H Hsieh⁶, Giulio A De Leo³

Affiliations

¹ Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. Electronic address: ssokolow@stanford.edu.
² School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Box 355020, Seattle, WA 98195-5020, USA.
³ Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA.
⁴ U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, c/o Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
⁵ Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
⁶ Children's National Health System, Washington DC, 20010, USA; The George Washington University, Washington DC, 20037, USA; Biomedical Research Institute, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.

Abstract

Control strategies to reduce human schistosomiasis have evolved from 'snail picking' campaigns, a century ago, to modern wide-scale human treatment campaigns, or preventive chemotherapy. Unfortunately, despite the rise in preventive chemotherapy campaigns, just as many people suffer from schistosomiasis today as they did 50 years ago. Snail control can complement preventive chemotherapy by reducing the risk of transmission from snails to humans. Here, we present ideas for modernizing and scaling up snail control, including spatiotemporal targeting, environmental diagnostics, better molluscicides, new technologies (e.g., gene drive), and 'outside the box' strategies such as natural enemies, traps, and repellants. We conclude that, to achieve the World Health Assembly's stated goal to eliminate schistosomiasis, it is time to give snail control another look.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Disease Eradication / methods*
Humans
Schistosomiasis / epidemiology*
Schistosomiasis / prevention & control*
Schistosomiasis / transmission
Snails / parasitology

Grants and funding

R01 TW010286/TW/FIC NIH HHS/United States