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Transmission of Schistosoma mansoni from man to snail: experimental studies of miracidial survival and infectivity in relation to larval age, water temperature, host size and host age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

R. M. Anderson ,
J. G. Mercer ,
R. A. Wilson  and
N. P. Carter
R. M. Anderson
Affiliation:
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Imperial College, London University, London SW7 2BB
J. G. Mercer
Affiliation:
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Imperial College, London University, London SW7 2BB
R. A. Wilson
Affiliation:
Biology Department, University of York, Heslington, York YOl 5DD
N. P. Carter
Affiliation:
Biology Department, University of York, Heslington, York YOl 5DD
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Summary

We report the results of experimental work on (a) the influence of temperature on the age-dependent survival and infectivity of the mira-cidia of Schistosoma mansoni and (b) the relationship between snail age, snail size and susceptibility to infection. The death rate of miracidia declined exponentially with age where life-expectancy was maximal (approximately 16 h) at 15 °C. Infectivity also declined rapidly with larval age but, in contrast to larval survival, the rate of infection was at a maximum at 25 °C. Snail susceptibility was shown to be more closely correlated with host size rather than host age. Susceptibility declined exponentially with increased host size. Size-dependent susceptibility was shown to generate concave age-prevalence curves for infection within snail populations, where the maximum prevalence is generated in snails of intermediary age. Simple mathematical models are developed to aid estimation of larval survival and infection rates and experimental results are discussed in relation to the overall transmission success of the parasite from man to snail.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 85 , Issue 2 , October 1982 , pp. 339 - 360
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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