Study on the Vector Role for Calicophoron daubneyi of Some Aquatic Snails form Western Romania

Abstract

In the last decade, Calicophoron daubneyi parasites have been found in animals in many European countries. Its development and spread are predicated on the presence of numerous intermediate hosts, but mainly on the presence of the aquatic snail Galba truncatula. Natural infestations of three freshwater snail species with Calicophoron daubneyi were studied from April to June 2020 in western Romania. Were collected 235 snails belonging to the species Galba truncatula (115 snails (48.94%)), Stagnicola palustris (48 snails (20.43%)), Planorbis corneus (72 snails (30.64%)). Out of a total of 235 snails harvested, 165 were positive for the presence of cercariae, but of these only 93 (39.57%) had Calicophoron daubneyi cercariae. These results indicate that Calicophoron daubneyi may be able to infect and grow in aquatic snail populations in western Romania. Calicophoron daubneyi has demonstrated its ability to adapt to an intermediate host in a new environment. The aim of this study was to identify aquatic snail species in grassland areas on the basis of shell morphological characteristics and to identify juvenile life cycle forms of the trematode Calicophoron daubneyi from aquatic snails, intermediate hosts, by PCR method in order to determine areas where infestation with this parasite causes economic losses to livestock farmers.

Keywords

• calicophoron daubneyi
• galba truncatula
• planorbis corneus
• stagnicola palustris
• ruminants
• snails