Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The relationship between miracidial dose, production of cercariae, and reproductive activity of the host in the combinationTrichobilharzia ocellata andLymnaea stagnalis

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Zeitschrift für Parasitenkunde Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effects of exposure of juvenileLymnaea stagnalis to one, two or, four miracidia ofTrichobilharzia ocellata on the following parameters were studied: infection rate, length of prepatent period, production of cercariae, growth and ovipository activity of the snails, and the weights of their accessory sex organs. An infection rate of 100% was established with all miracidial doses. Mortality of the snails was low in all experimental groups. In cercarial production high-(HP) and low-productive (LP) infections could be distinguished. An increase in miracidial dose at exposure results in an increase in the number of snails with HP-infections and decreases the length of the prepatent period of these infections. Snails with HP-infections grow faster than controls after day 14 post-exposure and show giant growth, while the accessory sex organs remain very small. The snails show hardly any ovipository activity. In all snails with HP-infections these effects are observed independent of the miracidial dose at exposure. Snails with LP-infections demonstrate no signs of gigantism, their accessory sex organs are almost identical to those of controls, and the snails show ovipository activity. It is concluded that the occurrence of HP- and LP-infections indicates differences in reproductive capacity of the parasite. HP-infections can only develop when the parasites can adjust the host to their requirements at an early stage of the infection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, R.M., May, R.M.: Prevalence of schistosome infections within molluscan populations: observed patterns and theoretical predictions. Parasitology79, 63–94 (1979)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, V.L., McLean, R.A.: Design of experiments. New York: Dekker 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourns, T.K.R.: Carbohydrate and protein inLymnaea stagnalis eggs andTrichobilharzia ocellata cercariae. J. Parasitol.60, 1046–1047 (1974)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chernin, E., Antolics, V.M.: Penetrative capacity ofSchistosoma mansoni miracidia. J. Parasitol.63, 560–561 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chernin, E., Dunavan, C.A.: The influence of host-parasite dispersion upon the capacity ofSchistosoma mansoni miracidia to infectAustralorbis glabratus. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.11, 455–471 (1962)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christie, J.D., Prentice, M.A.: The relationship between numbers ofSchistosoma mansoni daughter sporocysts and miracidia. Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol.72, 197–198 (1978)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chu, K.Y., Sabbaghian, H., Massoud, J.: Host-parasite relationship ofBulinus truncatus andSchistosoma haematobium in Iran. 2. Effect of exposure dosage of miracidia on the biology of the snail host and the development of the parasites. Bull. Wrld. Hlth. Org.34, 121–130 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dönges, J.: A formula for the mean infection success per miracidium and a method of proving the homogeneous susceptibility of snail populations to trematode infection. Int. J. Parasitol.4, 403–407 (1974)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geraerts, W.P.M.: Control of growth by the neurosecretory hormone of the light green cells in the freshwater snailLymnaea stagnalis. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol.29, 61–71 (1976a)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geraerts, W.P.M.: The role of the lateral lobes in the control of growth and reproduction in the hermaphrodite freshwater snailLymnaea stagnalis. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol.29, 97–108 (1976b)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geraerts, W.P.M., Bohlken, S.: The control of ovulation in the hermaphroditic freshwater snailLymnaea stagnalis by the neurohormone of the caudo-dorsal cells. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol.28, 350–357 (1976)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geraerts, W.P.M., Joosse, J.: Control of vitellogenesis and of growth of female accessory sex organs by the dorsal body hormone (DBH) in the hermaphroditic freshwater snailLymnaea stagnalis. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol.27, 450–464 (1975)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jonge, H. de: Inleiding tot de medische statistiek, 2nd ed., Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor Preventieve Geneeskunde 1963

    Google Scholar 

  • Joosse, J.: Dorsal bodies and dorsal neurosecretory cells of the cerebral ganglia ofLymnaea stagnalis L. Arch. Neerl. Zool.16, 1–103 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • Joosse, J.: Endocrinology of molluscs. In: Pathways in malacology. Spoel, S. van der, Bruggen, A.C. van, Lever, J., eds., pp. 107–137. Utrecht: Scheltema and Holkema 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall, S.B., Ollerenshaw, C.B.: The effect of nutrition on the growth ofFasciola hepatica in its snail host. Proc. Nutr. Soc.22, 41–46 (1963)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lo, C.T.: Compatibility and host-parasite relationships between species of the genusBulinus (Basommatophora: Planorbidae) and an Egyptian strain ofSchistosoma haematobium (Trematoda: Digenea). Malacologia11, 225–280 (1972)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lyaruu, D.M., Vaate, A. bij de, Gaasenbeek, C.P.H., Over, H.J., Sluiters, J.F.: Transmission ecology of schistosome dermatitis in the Netherlands. Proc. Spring Meeting Neth. Soc. Parasitol. (1976). Poster Session. Trop. Geogr. Med.29, 207 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, W.J.F.: The production of cercariae bySchistosoma mansoni andS. haematobium and methods for estimating the numbers of cercariae in suspension. Bull. WHO,33, 270–276 (1965)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, G., Bourns, T.K.R.: Effects ofTrichobilharzia ocellata on growth, reproduction, and survival ofLymnaea stagnalis. Exp. Parasitol.24, 137–146 (1969)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michelson, E.H.: The effects of temperature on growth and reproduction ofAustralorbis glabratus in the laboratory. Am. J. Hyg.73, 66–74 (1961)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meuleman, E.A.: Host-parasite interrelationships between the freshwater pulmonateBiomphalaria pfeifferi and the trematodeSchistosoma mansoni. Neth. J. Zool.22, 355–427 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pesigan, T.P., Hairston, N.G., Jauregui, J.J., Garcia, E.G., Santos, A.T., Santos, B.C., Besa, A.A.: Studies onSchistosoma japonicum infection in the Philippines. 2. The molluscan host. Bull. WHO,18, 481–578 (1958)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pitchford, R.J., Meyling, A.H., Meyling, J., Du Toit, J.F.: Cercarial shedding patterns of various schistosome species under outdoor conditions in the Transvaal. Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol.63, 359–371 (1969)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rau, M.E., Bourns, T.K.R., Ellis, J.C.: Egg production byTrichobilharzia ocellata (Trematoda: Schistosomatidae) after initial and challenge infection in ducks. Can. J. Zool.53, 642–650 (1975)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schreiber, F.G., Schubert, M.: Results of exposure of the snailAustralorbis glabratus to varying numbers of miracidia ofSchistosoma mansoni. J. Parasitol.35, 590–592 (1949)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R.R., Rohlf, F.J.: Biometry, San Francisco: W.H. Freeman 1969

    Google Scholar 

  • Steen, W.J. van der: The influence of environmental factors on the oviposition ofLymnaea stagnalis (L.) under laboratory conditions. Arch. Neerl. Zool.17, 403–468 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Steen, W.J. van der, Hoven, N.P. van den, Jager, J.C.: A method for breeding and studying freshwater snails under continuous water change, with some remarks on growth and reproduction inLymnaea stagnalis (L.). Neth. J. Zool.19, 131–139 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stirewalt, M.A.: The frequency of bisexual infections ofSchistosoma mansoni in snails of the speciesAustralorbis glabratus (Say.) J. Parasitol.37, 42–47 (1951)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sturrock, B.M.: The effect of infection withSchistosoma haematobium on the growth and reproduction rates ofBulinus (Physopsis) nasutus productus. Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol.61, 321–325 (1967)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sturrock, B.M., Sturrock, R.F.: Laboratory studies of the host-parasite relationship ofSchistosoma mansoni andBiomphalaria glabrata from St Lucia, West Indies. Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol.64, 357–363 (1970)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Upatham, E.S.: Effect of water depth on the infection ofBiomphalaria glabrata by miracidia of St. LucianSchistosoma mansoni under laboratory and field conditions. J. Helminthol.46, 317–325 (1972)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Upatham, E.S.: Location ofBiomphalaria glabrata (Say) by miracidia ofSchistosoma mansoni Sambon in natural standing and running waters on the West Indian island of St. Lucia. Int. J. Parasitol.3, 289–297 (1973)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Webbe, G., James, C.: Host-parasite relationships ofBulinus globosus andB. truncatus with strains ofSchistosoma haematobium. J. Helminthol.46, 185–199 (1972)

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Medical Parasitology, Free University, P.O. Box 7161, 1007 MC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    J. F. Sluiters, C. M. Brussaard-Wüst & E. A. Meuleman

Authors
  1. J. F. Sluiters
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. M. Brussaard-Wüst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. A. Meuleman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sluiters, J.F., Brussaard-Wüst, C.M. & Meuleman, E.A. The relationship between miracidial dose, production of cercariae, and reproductive activity of the host in the combinationTrichobilharzia ocellata andLymnaea stagnalis . Z. Parasitenkd. 63, 13–26 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927722

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927722

Key words

Search

Navigation