scholarly journals The genus Bilharziella vs. other bird schistosomes in snail hosts from one of the major recreational lakes in Poland

2021 ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Anna Stanicka ◽  
Łukasz Migdalski ◽  
Kamila Stefania Zając ◽  
Anna Cichy ◽  
Dorota Lachowska-Cierlik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Sensitive Skin ◽  
Infective Larvae ◽  
Bird Schistosome ◽  
Blood Flukes ◽  
European Water ◽  
Swimmer’S Itch ◽  
Swimmer's Itch

Bird schistosomes are commonly established as the causative agent of swimmer's itch − a hyper-sensitive skin reaction to the penetration of their infective larvae. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of the genus Bilharziella in comparison to other bird schistosome species from Lake Drawsko − one of the largest recreational lakes in Poland, struggling with the huge problem of swimmer's itch. In total, 317 specimens of pulmonate snails were collected and examined. The overall digenean infection was 35.33%. The highest bird schistosome prevalence was observed for Bilharziella sp. (4.63%) in Planorbarius corneus, followed by Trichobilharzia szidati (3.23%) in Lymnaea stagnalis and Trichobilharzia sp. (1.3%) in Stagnicola palustris. The location of Bilharziella sp. on the presented phylogeny showed that it is with high probability a different species than known so far B. polonica. Our finding complements the confirmed occurrence of bird schistosomes in European water bodies. Overall, presented research reveals the special importance of P. corneus as a source of the bird schistosome cercariae. This study suggests that the health threat connected with the blood flukes need to be further investigated by constant monitoring of their occurrence in intermediate hosts.

scholarly journals Invaders as Diluents of the Cercarial Dermatitis Etiological Agent

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 740
Author(s):  
Anna Stanicka ◽  
Łukasz Migdalski ◽  
Katarzyna Szopieray ◽  
Anna Cichy ◽  
Łukasz Jermacz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Dilution Effect ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Bird Schistosome ◽  
Swimmer’S Itch ◽  
Swimmer's Itch

Research on alien and invasive species focuses on the direct effects of invasion on native ecosystems, and the possible positive effects of their presence are most often overlooked. Our aim was to check the suitability of selected alien species (the snail Physa acuta, the bivalve Dreissena polymorpha, and the gammarid Dikerogammarus villosus) as diluents for infectious bird schistosome cercariae—the etiological factor of swimmer’s itch. It has been hypothesized that alien species with different feeding habits (scrapers, filterers and predators) that cohabit the aquatic environment with intermediate hosts of the schistosomatid trematodes are capable of feeding on their free-swimming stages—cercariae. In the laboratory conditions used, all experimental animals diluted the cercariae of bird schistosome. The most effective diluents were P. acuta and D. villosus. However, a wide discrepancy in the dilution of the cercariae between replicates was found for gammarids. The obtained results confirm the hypothesis that increased biodiversity, even when alien species are involved, creates the dilution effect of the free-living stages of parasites. Determining the best diluent for bird schistosome cercariae could greatly assist in the development of current bathing areas protection measures against swimmer’s itch.

limited data for the greater Townsville area (Kay et al.1996). Based on the prevalence of key vector species and their abundance and that of the viruses recovered, it was concluded that Big Bay, originally recommended as a prime site for recreational development by the Department of Local Government in 1985, actually presented lower risk than any other locality. Antill Creek also proved relatively safe in terms of mosquito-borne infections, whereas Toonpan during the wet season was a place to be avoided. Both Ross River and the environs of Townsville offered intermediate risk, the latter due to large numbers of saltmarsh mosquitoes breeding in intertidal wetlands. 9.5 Snails and swimmer’s itch Schistosome dermatitis, known as swimmer’s itch, is a common global problem for users of recreational swimming areas in water resource developments. The rash is caused by free living larvae called cercariae (Figure 9.4) of parasitic flukes which burrow into exposed parts of the body. Normally the life-cycle involves water birds such as ducks and pulmonate snails, so infection of humans is accidental. A large number of cercariae may penetrate the skin where they die but cause a localized allergic reaction in sensitized persons. In northern Australia, swimmer’s itch (Trichobilharzia) has been traditionally associated with Austropeplea (= Lymnaea) lessoni (= vinosa) although two planorbid snails, Amerianna carinata and Gyraulus stabilis, have also been identified as intermediate hosts in Lake Moondarra near Mt Isa, Queensland. Our recent data implicates Gyraulus gilberti at the Ross River dam. Snails are also commonly infected with other trematode cercariae, mainly echinostomes, strigeids/diplostomids and clinostomids.

1998 ◽  
pp. 148-148
Keyword(s):  
Lower Risk ◽  
The Body ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Swimmer’S Itch ◽  
Intertidal Wetlands ◽  
Water Birds ◽  
Swimmer's Itch

scholarly journals The chemotactic swimming behavior of bird schistosome miracidia in the presence of compatible and incompatible snail hosts

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9487
Author(s):  
Anna Marszewska ◽  
Anna Cichy ◽  
Jana Bulantová ◽  
Petr Horák ◽  
Elżbieta Żbikowska
Keyword(s):  
Tap Water ◽  
Parasite Prevalence ◽  
Snail Host ◽  
Swimming Behavior ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Host Snail ◽  
Bird Schistosome ◽  
Swimmer’S Itch ◽  
Secretory Products ◽  
Swimmer's Itch

No effective method has yet been developed to prevent the threat posed by the emerging disease—cercarial dermatitis (swimmer’s itch), caused by infective cercariae of bird schistosomes (Digenea: Schistosomatidae). In our previous studies, the New Zealand mud snail—Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1853; Gastropoda, Tateidae)—was used as a barrier between the miracidia of Trichobilharzia regenti and the target snails Radix balthica. Since the presence of non-indigenous snails reduced the parasite prevalence under laboratory conditions, we posed three new research questions: (1) Do bird schistosomes show totally perfect efficacy for chemotactic swimming behavior? (2) Do the larvae respond to substances emitted by incompatible snail species? (3) Do the excretory-secretory products of incompatible snail species interfere with the search for a compatible snail host? The experiments were carried out in choice-chambers for the miracidia of T. regenti and T. szidati. The arms of the chambers, depending on the variant, were filled with water conditioned by P. antipodarum, water conditioned by lymnaeid hosts, and dechlorinated tap water. Miracidia of both bird schistosome species chose more frequently the water conditioned by snails—including the water conditioned by the incompatible lymnaeid host and the alien species, P. antipodarum. However, species-specific differences were noticed in the behavior of miracidia. T. regenti remained more often inside the base arm rather than in the arm filled with water conditioned by P. antipodarum or the control arm. T. szidati, however, usually left the base arm and moved to the arm filled with water conditioned by P. antipodarum. In conclusion, the non-host snail excretory-secretory products may interfere with the snail host-finding behavior of bird schistosome miracidia and therefore they may reduce the risk of swimmer’s itch.

Larval trematodes in freshwater snails at the Ross River Reservoir, northern Australia, with emphasis on Trichobilharzia sp(p)., causative agents of swimmer's itch

1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 563 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Hurley ◽  
MN Hearnden ◽  
D Blair ◽  
BH Kay
Keyword(s):  
Freshwater Snails ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Trematode Infection ◽  
River Reservoir ◽  
Swimmer’S Itch ◽  
Causative Agents ◽  
Swimmer's Itch ◽  
Trematode Infections ◽  
Prosobranch Snail

Prevalence of trematode cercariae within freshwater snails at the Ross River reservoir is presented, with special attention to Trichobilharzia sp(p). (Digenea:Schistosomatidae), known causative agents of schistosome dermatitis. Three pulmonate snails-a lymnaeid, Austropeplea lessoni, and two planorbids, Gyraulus gilberti and Amerianna carinata-and one prosobranch snail, Thiara balonnensis, were common in the reservoir. These snails were infected with trematode cercariae representing six different families. Both Austropeplea lessoni (4.5%) and G. gilberti (1.8%) act as intermediate hosts of Trichobilharzia sp(p). Trematode infection levels increased as snail size increased. The implication for surveillance techniques is that only the larger snails (A. lessoni > 10 mm, G. gilberti > 3 mm and Amerianna carinata >6 mm) require dissection to determine the prevalence of trematode infections.

scholarly journals Potamopyrgus antipodarumas a potential defender against swimmer’s itch in European recreational water bodies—experimental study

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Marszewska ◽  
Anna Cichy ◽  
Jana Bulantová ◽  
Petr Horák ◽  
Elżbieta Żbikowska
Keyword(s):  
Water Bodies ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Snail Population ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Host Snail ◽  
Bird Schistosome ◽  
Working People ◽  
Swimmer’S Itch ◽  
Swimmer's Itch ◽  
Resistance To Invasion

Swimmer’s itch is a re-emerging human disease caused by bird schistosome cercariae, which can infect bathing or working people in water bodies. Even if cercariae fail after penetrating the human skin, they can cause dangerous symptoms in atypical mammal hosts. One of the natural methods to reduce the presence of cercariae in the environment could lie in the introduction of non–host snail species to the ecosystem, which is known as the “dilution” or “decoy” effect. The caenogastropodPotamopyrgus antipodarum—an alien in Europe—could be a good candidate against swimmer’s itch because of its apparent resistance to invasion by European bird schistosome species and its high population density. As a pilot study on this topic, we have carried out a laboratory experiment on howP. antipodaruminfluences the infestation of the intermediate hostRadix balthica(a native lymnaeid) by the bird schistosomeTrichobilharzia regenti. We found that the co–exposure of 200P. antipodarumindividuals per oneR. balthicato theT. regentimiracidia under experimental conditions makes the infestation ineffective. Our results show that a non–host snail population has the potential to interfere with the transmission of a trematode via suitable snail hosts.

scholarly journals Can Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gastropoda) affect the prevalence of Trichobilharzia szidati in Lymnaea stagnalis populations?

2021 ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Żbikowska ◽  
Anna Stanicka ◽  
Anna Cichy ◽  
Janusz Żbikowski
Keyword(s):  
Lymnaea Stagnalis ◽  
Dilution Effect ◽  
Potamopyrgus Antipodarum ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Host Snail ◽  
Swimmer’S Itch ◽  
Good Potential ◽  
Swimmer's Itch ◽  
Zoonotic Parasites

Swimmer's itch is an emerging disease caused by bird schistosomes affecting people all over the world. Lymnaeidae − main host snails in Europe − are the source of harmful cercariae of these zoonotic parasites. The aim of this work was to determine whether Polish lakes, inhabited by Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843), result in a lower potential risk of swimmer's itch compared to lakes uninhabited by this non-native snail species. As a result of the dilution effect created by increasing the diversity of co-occurring non-host targets for miracidia, the risk of this zoonosis may be reduced. We studied the prevalence of digenean trematodes in Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758) populations from 30 water bodies partly inhabited by P. antipodarum. The bird schistosome infection in snail hosts was found in five lakes inhabited and 11 lakes uninhabited by the non-native snails. The prevalence of these parasitesin host snail populations in the lakes uninhabited was significantly higher than in lakes inhabited by P. antipodarum. We conclude that P. antipodarum seems to be a good potential target for reducing the risk of swimmer's itch via the dilution effect. We expect from our point of view to stimulate a discussion on the use of this species to protect bathing areas against the threat of swimmer's itch.

scholarly journals A mathematical model for the control of swimmer's itch

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Peirce ◽  
J. J. Pellett ◽  
G. J. Sandland
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Swimmer’S Itch ◽  
Swimmer's Itch
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