TY - JOUR
T1 - Experimental control of Biomphalaria pfeifferi, the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni, by the ampullariid snail Lanistes varicus
AU - Anto, F.
AU - Bosompem, K.
AU - Kpikpi, J.
AU - Adjuik, M.
AU - Edoh, D.
PY - 2005/3
Y1 - 2005/3
N2 - The biological control of the snail hosts of the trematodes that cause human schistosomiasis appears to be a promising method for achieving sustainable reductions in the transmission of the parasites. The possibility of using the Ghanaian strain of an ampullariid snail, Lanistes varicus, for the biological control of the main snail host of Schistosoma mansoni, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, has now been investigated in laboratory-based experiments. Adult and 2-week-old L. varicus were found to feed voraciously on the egg masses and juveniles of B. pfeifferi (from the Tono irrigation canals in northern Ghana). When single L. varicus were exposed to 20-200 egg masses, they consumed all of the masses over 24 h (if adult) or about 50% of them over 4 days (if 2-week-old juveniles). The effect of the secretions of the ampullariid on the reproduction, growth and mortality of B. pfeifferi was also investigated, by maintaining the two snail species in the same aquarium but separated by nylon netting. The presence of L. varicus in the same aquarium reduced the number of egg masses produced by each B. pfeifferi, although, curiously, the presence of a single L. varicus in the aquarium appeared to have more of an impact, on the egg-mass deposition by 20 B. pfeifferi, than the presence of five or more of the ampullariids. It appears that, under laboratory conditions at least, the Ghanaian stain of L. varicus has the potential to limit populations of B. pfeifferi.
AB - The biological control of the snail hosts of the trematodes that cause human schistosomiasis appears to be a promising method for achieving sustainable reductions in the transmission of the parasites. The possibility of using the Ghanaian strain of an ampullariid snail, Lanistes varicus, for the biological control of the main snail host of Schistosoma mansoni, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, has now been investigated in laboratory-based experiments. Adult and 2-week-old L. varicus were found to feed voraciously on the egg masses and juveniles of B. pfeifferi (from the Tono irrigation canals in northern Ghana). When single L. varicus were exposed to 20-200 egg masses, they consumed all of the masses over 24 h (if adult) or about 50% of them over 4 days (if 2-week-old juveniles). The effect of the secretions of the ampullariid on the reproduction, growth and mortality of B. pfeifferi was also investigated, by maintaining the two snail species in the same aquarium but separated by nylon netting. The presence of L. varicus in the same aquarium reduced the number of egg masses produced by each B. pfeifferi, although, curiously, the presence of a single L. varicus in the aquarium appeared to have more of an impact, on the egg-mass deposition by 20 B. pfeifferi, than the presence of five or more of the ampullariids. It appears that, under laboratory conditions at least, the Ghanaian stain of L. varicus has the potential to limit populations of B. pfeifferi.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=15344339094&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1179/136485905X17425
DO - 10.1179/136485905X17425
M3 - Article
C2 - 15814039
AN - SCOPUS:15344339094
SN - 0003-4983
VL - 99
SP - 203
EP - 209
JO - Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology
JF - Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology
IS - 2
ER -