Contributions on human fascioliasis and its snail intermediate host in Nile Delta, Egypt

  • Authors

    • Mohamed El-Bahy Professor of Parasitology, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterenary Medicine, Cairo University
    • Abeer Mahgoub Assistant Professor of Parasitology, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt
    • Eman Taher Research Institute of Ophthalmology, El-Giza, Egypt
    2014-06-11
    https://doi.org/10.14419/ijbas.v3i3.2616
  • Abstract

    The present study spotted some light on human fascioliasis in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate in the west of the Nile Delta in Egypt, its species, its intermediate host (IMH) snail and tried to answer previous questions about development of Fasciola (F.) species in new snail hosts other than that known for animal fascioliasis in Egypt.

    The study recorded a percentage of infection by Fasciola eggs reached up to 6.02% in 1810 randomly collected human stool samples from 6 climatically selected sites in this governorate using fluke-finder technique. The incidence was high in Sedi Salem and Motobus than in the other study sites. Micrometry measuring of 100 eggs from each locality showed that egg size cannot be used as a main criterion in differentiation between F. hepatica and gigantica. Wide range of egg size varied between 130-162.5 µ X 75-87.5 µ with a mean length and width of 144.24 ± 11.33 µ X 80± 6.55µ, was recorded. Upon dissection of 1972 Lymnaea (L.) cailliaudi, 268 L. alexandrina, 502 Bulinus species, 11316 Biomphalaria alexandrina, 1398 Cleopatra species, 8520 Physa acuta, 420 Melania tuberculata, 2132 Vivipara (Bellamya) unicolar, 144 Neritina nilotica and 1570 Planorbis philippi, Fasciola parthenitae were not detected  in snails other than L. cailliaudi (the known IMH of Fasciola in Egypt). The results proved that there is no accommodation has occurred in any of the surrounding snails to transmit Fasciola to man. The present study proved that human fascioliasis in the study sites was due to Fasciola gigantica not F. hepatica. This appeared in its tendency to develop in L. cailliaudi not in other tested snails with successive radial generations as that described previously for F. gigantica. Moreover, early mature flukes extracted from laboratory infected rabbits by the produced encysted metacercariae had the characteristic features described previously for F. gigantica.

    Keywords: Cercariae- Egypt- Fasciola gigantica- Human- L. Cailliaudi.

  • References

    1. R.W. Tolan, Fascioliasis due to F. hepatica and F. gigantica infection: an Update on this “Neglected” Tropical Disease, LABMEDICINE 42 (2) (2011) 107-115.
    2. J. Keiser, J. Utzinger, Food-borne trematodiases, Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 22 (2009) 166-483.
    3. M.E. Ali, M.H. El-Kannishy, E.S. El-Kholy, M.M. Hegazy, A.A. Khashaba, M.R. Rifaay, M.A. Rifaat, Human fascioliasis in Dakahlia Governorate, Mansora, Med. Bull. 3 (1974) 295.
    4. E. Safar, E. Mikhail, G. Bassiouni, S. El-Bassiouni, H. El-Kholy, Human fascioliasis in some areas in Cairo & Giza Governorates, Egypt, J. Egypt. Soc. Parasitol. 35 (1) (2005) 181-192.
    5. M.A. Valero, M.V. Periago, I. Perez-Crespo, E. Rodriguez, Assessing the validity of an ELISA test for the serological diagnosis of human fascioliasis in different epidemical situations, Trop. Med. Internat. Health 17 (5) (2012) 630-636.
    6. H.E. Farag, M.H. El-Sayed, Biomphalaria alexandrina naturally infected with F. gigantica in Egypt, Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 89 (1) (1995) 36.
    7. J.B. Malone, O.K. Huh, D.P. Fehler, A.I. El-Magdoub, Temperature data from satellite imagery and the distribution of schistosomiasis in Egypt, Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 50 (6) (1992) 714-722.
    8. J.B. Malone, R.T. Ramsey, A.F. Loyacano, Efficacy of clorsulon for the treatment of mature naturally acquired and 8 weeks old experimentally induced F. hepatica infection in cattle, Am. J. Vet. Res. 45 (5) (1984) 851-854.
    9. A.N. Hussein, I.M. Hassan, M.A. Kalifa, Description of eggs and larval stages of Fasciola, light and scanning electron microscopic studies, Research J. Parasitol. 5 (1) (2010) 1-12.
    10. M.H. Pritchard, G.O.W. Kruse, The collection and preservation of animal parasites, University of Nebraska Press, Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data, Lincoln, (1982) pp 29.
    11. M.R. Diab, Biological studies on trematode larvae and fresh water snails, M.V.Sc. (thesis) Fac.Vet. Med. Alexandria University, (1993).
    12. D.S. Brown, Fresh water snails of Africa and their medical importance, 2nd ed., Taylor and Francis Ltd., 4 John St., London, WCIN (1994).
    13. S. Mas-Coma, M.A. Valero, M.D. Bargues, Chapter 2 Fasciola, lymnaeids and human fascioliasis, with a global overview on disease transmission, epidemiology, evolutionary genetics molecular epidemiology and control, Adv. in Parasitol. (69) (2009) 41-146.
    14. M.M. El-Bahy, Effect of some biotic and abiotic factors on Fasciola infection in both intermediate and final hosts, Ph.D. V.Sc. (thesis) Fac. Vet. Med. Cairo University (1988).
    15. F.A. Abdel Ghani, Studies on life cycle of some trematodes of egyptian domesticated animals, Ph.D. V.Sc. (thesis) Fac. Vet. Med. Cairo University (1955).
    16. M.T. Atwa, Studies on some trematode larvae of some fresh water snails in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. Ph.D, .S. Sc. (thesis) Fac. Science, Animal science Dept. Fayoum University, Egypt (2012).
    17. C.P. De Souzal, K.G. Magalhaes, L.K. Jannotti, N. Katz, Aspects of the maintenance of the life cycle of F. hepatica in Lymnaea columella ion Minas Greais, Brazil, Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janero 97 (3) (2002) 407-410.
    18. M.V. Periago, M.A. Valero, M. El Sayed, et al., First phenotypic description of Fasciola hepatica/Fasciola gigantica intermediate forms from the human endemic area of the Nile Delta, Egypt, Infect Genet and Evol (8) (2008) 51–58.
    19. E.J. Soulsby, Helminthes arthropods & protozoa of domesticated animals, 7th ed., Baillere, Tindall and Casell Ltd., London, Philadelphia Toronto (1986).
    20. E.A. Malek, Snails transmitted parasitic diseases, Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data, Boca Raton, USA II, (1980) 131-170.
    21. M.S. Abdel-Rahman, H.M. Omar, M.M. El-Bahy, E.I. Ramadan, Fasciolicidal effect of Ivomec-F against immature F. gigantica in experimentally infested buffalo calves, Proc. 2nd Cong. Fac. Vet. Med. Cairo Univ. (1992).
    22. S. Mas-Coma, J.G. Esteban, M.D. Bargues, Epidemiology of human fascioliasis: a review and proposed new classification. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 77 (4) (1999) 340 – 346.
    23. Y.D. Dar, D. Rondelaud, G. Dreyfuss, Update of fasciolosis-transmitting snails in Egypt (review and comment), J. Egypt. Soc. Parasitol. 35 (2) (2005) 477-490.
    24. H.E. Farag, P.M. Barkat, M. Ragab, E. Omar, A focus of human fascioliasis in the Nile Delta, Egypt, J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 82 (1979) 188-190.
    25. M.M. Hassan, N.E. Moustafa, L.A. Mahmoud, B.E. Abbaza, M.H. Hegab, Prevalence of Fasciola infection among school children in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, J. Egypt. Soc. Parasitol. 25 (2) (1995) 543-549.
    26. M.A. Valero, I. Perez-Crespo, V. Periago, S. Mas-Coma, Fluke egg characteristics for the diagnosis of human and animal fascioliasis by F. Hepatica and F. gigantica, Acta Trop. 111 (2) (2009) 150-159.
    27. S. Watanabe, A revision of the genus Fasciola in Japan with particular reference to F. hepatica and F. gigantica, Progress of Medical Parasitology in Japan, Vol. II, Megura Parasitological Museum, Tokyo, (1965) 359-381.
    28. E.A. El-Zayyat, Evaluation of crude and purified Fasciola antigens in immunological diagnosis of human fascioliasis. M.D. degree in Medical Science, department of Parasitology Faculty of Medicine (Thesis), Ain Shams University, Cairo, (1989).
    29. C.J. Bayen, P.M. Buckley, and P.C. De Wan, Schistosoma mansoni: cytotoxicity of hemocytes from susceptible snail hosts for sporocysts in plasma from resistant B. glabrata, Experimental Parasitology 50 (1980) 409-416.
    30. M.M. El-Bahy, Studies on the antagonistic effect of some trematode larvae inside their intermediate hosts. Ph.D. V.Sc. (thesis) Fac.Vet. Med. Cairo University, (1993).
  • Downloads

    Additional Files

  • How to Cite

    El-Bahy, M., Mahgoub, A., & Taher, E. (2014). Contributions on human fascioliasis and its snail intermediate host in Nile Delta, Egypt. International Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 3(3), 172-179. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijbas.v3i3.2616

    Received date: 2014-04-30

    Accepted date: 2014-05-24

    Published date: 2014-06-11