Gastropods and their participation in transmission of Trichinella spp. in water biocenosis

Abstract

Trichinellosis is a dangerous zoonotic disease caused with nematode Trichi- nella spp. Trichinella have a strongly pronounced polyhostality. The spectrum of their hosts covers more than 150 species of animals including sea mammals. Tak- ing into account the habitat of sea mammals, unlike land mammals, it is hard to imagine the process of infection with Trichinella; nevertheless some domestic and foreign authors point at infection of sea mammals with this species of helminths. Up to the present moment the mechanism of transmission of infectious agent to sea mammals using fish for food, different types of zooplankton and zoobenthos are not explored. Mollusks are one of the important food objects for walruses and hair- seals. Mollusks (up to 20 species) are used as main food for pacific walrus Odobe- nus rosmarus divergens in all its habitats, as for bearded seal Erignathus barbatus - mollusks take the second place, for rough seal Phoca hispida and spotted seal P. largha this type of food is used in a less degree. For the purpose of determination of role of mollusks by transmission of trichinellas to obligate hosts - inhabitants of water biocenosis, we carried out a set of experiments using a widespread great pond snail ( Lymnaea stagnalis ). It is determined that gastropods are able to swal- low up not only decapsulated larvae of Trichinella but also encapsulated larvae. Larvae of Trichinella is alive and has infective properties after passing through ga- strointestinal tract of gastropods for the time period from 24 up to 48 hours

Keywords

• trichinellosis
• great pond snail
• mechanical carrier
• sea mammals