RESEARCH ARTICLES
A study on echinostome infection in snail intermediate hosts in different habitats of Palakkad district, Kerala
K. Anbarasu, Asha Rajagopal, Bindu Lakshmanan, K. Vinod Kumar, K. Devada and L.M. Thamil Bharathi
Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.2020. 51(1):52-55.
Author Details
K. Anbarasu: PG Scholar, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Kerala, India.
Asha Rajagopal: Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Kerala, India.
Bindu Lakshmanan: Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Kerala, India.
K. Vinod Kumar: Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Kerala, India.
K. Devada: Professor and Head, Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Kerala, India.
L.M. Thamil Bharathi:PG Scholar, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Kerala, India.
Article History
Received: 06.08.2019, Accepted: 03.09.2019, Published online: 01.01.2020
Corrersponding author: K. Anbarasu
e-mail: anbukumar@live.com
Citation: Anbarasu, K., Rajagopal, A., Lakshmanan, B., Vinod Kumar, K., Devada K. and Thamil Bharathi L. M. 2020. A study on echinostome infection in snail intermediate hosts in different habitats of Palakkad district, Kerala. J. Vet. Anim. Sci. 51(1): 52-55.
Abstract
A total of 80 snails collected from three habitats viz., uncultivated paddy fields, permanent water bodies and catchment area of dams in Palakkad district of Kerala were screened for presence of echinostome infection. The collected snails were identified morphologically as Indoplanorbis exustus and Lymnaea luteola. Indoplanorbis exustus was found to be the most predominant snail species followed by L. luteola with a prevalence rate of 57.5 and 42.5 per cent, respectively. The prevalence rate of snails was higher in uncultivated paddy fields followed by permanent water bodies and catchment area of dams. Overall prevalence of echinostome infection in snails was found to be 11.2 per cent. Prevalence of infection in I. exustus constituted 13 per cent while that in L. luteola was nine per cent. Dissection of positive snails revealed intra molluscan stages like sporocyst.
Keywords: Snail, echinostome, cercariae