Freshwater snail dynamics focused on potential risk of using urine as fertilizer in Katiola, an endemic area of Schistosomiasis (Ivory Coast; West Africa)
The aim of this study was to conduct a large-scale freshwater snail survey in Katiola to assess the malacological diversity and the larval trematode infections. We conducted 156 samples of snails and environmental parameters in 13 sampling sites in 3 localities. Nine species were identified among the 6049 collected snails, with four of human schistosome transmitting snails, Bulinus forskalii, B. globosus, B. truncatus and Biomphalaria pfeifferi. Although B. pfeifferi was the most largely distributed and none of B. truncatus and B. forskalii were found naturally infected by schistosomes. B. globosus, B. pfeifferi and Lymnaea natalensis shed parasites with low prevalence (respectively 12.17%, 1.77% and 10.71%). Physico-chemical parameters showed low variations except dissolved oxygen. Four hydrophytes (Setaria longiseta, Ludwigia abyssinica, Polygonum salicifolium and Polygonum lanigerum) out of thirteen are ubiquitous and influenced the distribution of snails. Our data showed the potential risk to public health in the use of urine as fertilizer in Katiola.