SPECIES DIVERSITY AND PREVALENCE OF NEMATODES IN FRESHWATER SNAILS IN SILUKO RIVER, EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

Freshwater snails are gastropod molluscs that live in aquatic habitats and they are spread widely throughout all areas of the world. In past years, they have been reported to be hosts for parasites, some of which they in turn pass unto other animals and humans leading to various pathological conditions. In this study, the aim was to identify diverse species of freshwater snails and the prevalence of nematodes in them, using Siluko river as the study area. 366 snails were collected and examined for the prevalence of nematodes. The species of snails investigated are Bulinus truncatus, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Lymnaea natalensis, Limicolaria aurora, Melanoides tuberculata, Pila ovata and Subulina octona. Nematode was recorded in one snail species, Subulina octona and the parasite was identified to be Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The overall prevalence of infection recorded was 2.14%, while the species prevalence was 35.0%. Although the prevalence is low, the rate of infection in humans and animals should be considered as these intermediate hosts are increasing in dispersal. Also, these snails should be controlled using different both biological and chemical methods of control to reduce their rate of dispersal and the rate of infection among humans and animals.