The Current Status of Echinostome Infected Indoplanorbis exutus Snails in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand.

Abstract

Background and Objective:  The parasitic infections are a public health problem in developing country especially foodborne intestinal trematodes infection that estimated about 40-50 million people worldwide.  Echinostomes is one of popular foodborne intestinal trematodes that can be found in Southeast Asia countries, including Thailand.  Indoplanorbis exutus snails are one of the intermediate hosts of echinostome, can be found in several water reservoirs in Thailand.   Therefore, we investigated the current status of echinostome infection in fresh water snail, Indoplanorbis exutus in rainy, cool-dry and hot dry seasons.

Materials and Methods:  Indoplanorbis exutus snails were collected from seueral water reservoirs in  Khon Kaen province. Metacercariae were collected and counted under the light microscope, then 50 metacercariae were used to infect in hamsters.  Adult worms were collected, stained and then identified the species.

Results: The prevalence of echinostome infection in Indoplanorbis exutus snail during rainy, cool-dry and hot, dry seasons was 96.21%, 83.95%, and  67.35% respectively.  All adult worms were observed the branches testes that were identified as  Echinostoma malayanum.

Conclusion: This results suggests that the highest prevalence of echinostome infection was  in the rainy season.  Most of echinostome were Echinostoma malayanum.