Zoonotic helminths in fresh water snail (Melanoides tuberculata) from Uruan wetland communities of Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

We investigated 3 study sites of rural wetland communities of Ikpa, Ibikpe and Ikot Udo for helminth parasites using water snail Melanoides tuberculata fresh specimens. Parasitological gut examination were significant (p<0.05), and revealed that Ikpa community with 90.90% was hyper-endemic for schistosomiasis, while all study communities recorded (<50.00%) endemic prevalence infection for diphyllobothriasis respectively. Egg parasitic loads were above WHO standards of <1.00 helminth egg/L. Helminths co-infection as outlined is a neglected emerging zoonosis, as these could increase livestock and public health disease burden in wetland communities.

Keywords: Helminth parasites, zoonosis, water snail, public health, wetland communities