Assessing the role of Filopaludina martensi martensi as a biocontrol agent of Bithynia siamensis goniomphalos , the firs
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HELMINTHOLOGY - ORIGINAL PAPER
Assessing the role of Filopaludina martensi martensi as a biocontrol agent of Bithynia siamensis goniomphalos, the first intermediate host of Opisthorchis viverrini Yi-Chen Wang 1
&
Timothy Zherui Liew 1 & Jutamas Namsanor 1,2,3
&
Paiboon Sithithaworn 2,3
Received: 23 April 2020 / Accepted: 28 July 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The freshwater snail Bithynia siamensis goniomphalos serves as the first intermediate host of liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini, a foodborne parasite, of which human infection has persisted in Southeast Asia for decades. The snail Filopaludina martensi martensi has been proposed as a biological control agent against B.s. goniomphalos, but knowledge on the snail ecology and population dynamics between the two species remains rudimentary. This study investigated selected abiotic and biotic factors influencing the distribution and abundance of B.s. goniomphalos and F.m. martensi. Water quality, soils, and snails were collected from 34 localities in Northeast Thailand. Soil properties and snail soft tissue elemental concentrations were analyzed. Experiments were performed to examine interspecific competition. Statistical analysis was conducted to explore the associations between water and soil properties and soft tissue elemental concentrations. The results showed that B.s. goniomphalos had the highest mean dominance in streams and red-yellow podzolic soils, while F.m. martensi snails preferred ponds and latosol soils. Negative correlation in species abundances was found between the two species. Interspecific competition was detected, with B.s. goniomphalos growth rates hampered by the presence of F.m. martensi. Despite the possibility of using F.m. martensi to control B.s. goniomphalos, B.s. goniomphalos exhibited a greater adaptability to different water and soil properties, suggesting that the species could colonize a wide range of environmental conditions. This study provides further insights into the ecology of the two snail species, underscoring the importance of considering abiotic factors when assessing the possible biological control agent to control O. viverrini transmission. Keywords Liver fluke . Foodborne parasite . Biological control agent . Snail host . Northeast Thailand
Introduction The liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini, is a fish-borne trematode which causes a major public health problem in continenHandling Editor: Una Ryan * Yi-Chen Wang [email protected] * Jutamas Namsanor [email protected] 1
Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, 1 Arts Link, Singapore 117570, Singapore
2
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
3
Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
tal Southeast Asia, affecting countries of Thailand, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar (Sithithaworn et al. 2012; Aung et al. 2017). The life cycl
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