First report of Lymnaea columella Say, 1817 (Pulmonata: Lymnaeidae) naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica (Linnaeus,1758) (Trematoda: Digenea) in Argentina

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol. 98; no. 7; pp. 889 - 891
• Main Authors: Prepelitchi, Lucila, Kleiman, Florencia, Pietrokovsky, Silvia M, Moriena, Ricardo A, Racioppi, Oscar, Alvarez, José, Wisnivesky-Colli, Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 01.10.2003; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
• Subjects: Animals; Argentina; Digenea; Fasciola hepatica; Fasciola hepatica - isolation & purification; Fasciola hepatica infection; Lymnaea - parasitology; Lymnaea columella; Lymnaeidae; Marine; PARASITOLOGY; Pulmonata; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Trematoda; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Argentina; Brazil; Paraguay; Uruguay; Argentina, Corrientes; Lymnaea columella; Argentina; Fasciola hepatica infection
• ISSN: 0074-0276; 1678-8060; 1678-8060; 0074-0276
• DOI: 10.1590/S0074-02762003000700005

We report the first evidence of natural infection of Lymnaea columella with Fasciola hepatica in Argentina. A sample of 601 snails was collected in May 2003 in northeastern Corrientes, a province bounded on the north by Paraguay, on the east by Brazil and on the southeast by Uruguay. Among 500 examined snails, 44 (8.8%) were exclusively infected with F. hepatica. Parasite identification was based on morphological features of cercariae from snails, and of eggs and adult flukes from Wistar rats. We discuss the events suggesting that an enzootic transmission cycle of F. hepatica has been recently established in northeastern Corrientes.