Survey of snail intermediate hosts of trematodes in Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau state, Nigeria

Abstract

Streams and irrigation schemes in selected areas of Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria were surveyed for snail intermediate hosts of Trematodes. A total of 1045 snails were collected from streams with long handled scoop net and in some areas manually with hand in gloves. The snails were put in wide-mouthed universal bottles, screwed loosely and taken to the laboratory for examination. Examination was carried out by exposing groups of ten in beakers containing water to sunshine for 30 minutes and the water examined for cercariae. Snails in any group that showed positivity were washed, re-exposed as above and the water examined after which the snails were crushed in normal saline and examined for cercariae. Out of the total 1045 snails, only 85(8.13%) Lymnea snaisl were positive with cercariae, while other species, Bulinus and Biomphalaria were not infected. Gymnocephalous cercariae were found in the infected snails. No snail was found in the irrigation schemes. The infected Lymnea snails were collected from a stream at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru/Vom, while the Lymnea snails collected from other sites were not infected. The result indicated that the inhabitants of these areas may not harbor schistosomes as their snail hosts, – Bulinus and Biomphalaria were not harboring the infective stage of the parasites, while domestic animals, especially sheep and cattle around NIPSS/Vom were at risk of being infected with Fasciola species as the intermediate host of the parasites harbored the infective stages, cercariae.

Keywords: Trematodes, intermediate hosts, snail, streams, irrigation schemes

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, 6(2): 151-154, 2010