New insights into trematode infections in cattle and their snail intermediate hosts in a Mediterranean area of Italy

IF 3.1 Q2 PARASITOLOGY

Food and Waterborne Parasitology Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-16 DOI:10.1016/j.fawpar.2025.e00312

Lavinia Ciuca , Maria Paola Maurelli , Antonio Bosco , Ines Hammami , Paola Vitiello , Mita Eva Sengupta , Anna-Sofie Stensgaard , Laura Rinaldi

{"title":"New insights into trematode infections in cattle and their snail intermediate hosts in a Mediterranean area of Italy","authors":"Lavinia Ciuca , Maria Paola Maurelli , Antonio Bosco , Ines Hammami , Paola Vitiello , Mita Eva Sengupta , Anna-Sofie Stensgaard , Laura Rinaldi","doi":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2025.e00312","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated snails collected from eleven cattle farms in a Mediterranean area of southern Italy, where Fasciola hepatica (liver fluke) and Calicophoron daubneyi (rumen fluke) are known to occur. A total of 319 snails were collected from various aquatic habitats across the selected farms and identified using morphological and molecular analysis. BLAST analysis revealed two snail species: Galba truncatula (56.7 %) and Physella acuta (43.3 %). Statistical analyses revealed that shell and aperture lengths differed significantly between the two snail species. A subset of 130 snails was tested for the presence of F. hepatica and C. daubneyi DNA. Snails were initially tested in pools of ten individuals per species and single snails from positive pools were subsequently examined individually. Fasciola hepatica DNA was detected exclusively in G. truncatula, whereas C. daubneyi DNA was found in both G. truncatula and P. acuta. In addition, a total of 84 adult liver flukes were collected from cattle on seven of the eleven farms, morphometrically characterized, and molecularly confirmed as F. hepatica. The concurrent detection of fluke eggs in cattle faeces, adult flukes in livers and fluke DNA in snails suggests that active transmission is ongoing on these farms. Galba truncatula, already established as the main intermediate host for both F. hepatica and C. daubneyi in Europe, was confirmed in this study as naturally infected with both flukes under Italian field conditions. Broader seasonal surveys are warranted to better define infection dynamics. In contrast, the detection of C. daubneyi DNA in P. acuta requires experimental confirmation of cercarial shedding and infectivity to the definitive host to determine its actual role in fluke transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article e00312"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676625000599","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/12/16 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PARASITOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study investigated snails collected from eleven cattle farms in a Mediterranean area of southern Italy, where Fasciola hepatica (liver fluke) and Calicophoron daubneyi (rumen fluke) are known to occur. A total of 319 snails were collected from various aquatic habitats across the selected farms and identified using morphological and molecular analysis. BLAST analysis revealed two snail species: Galba truncatula (56.7 %) and Physella acuta (43.3 %). Statistical analyses revealed that shell and aperture lengths differed significantly between the two snail species. A subset of 130 snails was tested for the presence of F. hepatica and C. daubneyi DNA. Snails were initially tested in pools of ten individuals per species and single snails from positive pools were subsequently examined individually. Fasciola hepatica DNA was detected exclusively in G. truncatula, whereas C. daubneyi DNA was found in both G. truncatula and P. acuta. In addition, a total of 84 adult liver flukes were collected from cattle on seven of the eleven farms, morphometrically characterized, and molecularly confirmed as F. hepatica. The concurrent detection of fluke eggs in cattle faeces, adult flukes in livers and fluke DNA in snails suggests that active transmission is ongoing on these farms. Galba truncatula, already established as the main intermediate host for both F. hepatica and C. daubneyi in Europe, was confirmed in this study as naturally infected with both flukes under Italian field conditions. Broader seasonal surveys are warranted to better define infection dynamics. In contrast, the detection of C. daubneyi DNA in P. acuta requires experimental confirmation of cercarial shedding and infectivity to the definitive host to determine its actual role in fluke transmission.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

意大利地中海地区牛及其蜗牛中间宿主吸虫感染的新认识

本研究调查了意大利南部地中海地区11个养牛场收集的蜗牛，已知该地区存在肝片吸虫（肝吸虫）和瘤胃吸虫（胃吸虫）。在选定的养殖场的不同水生生境中共收集了319只蜗牛，并进行了形态学和分子分析。BLAST分析发现2种蜗牛：Galba truncatula（56.7%）和Physella acuta（43.3%）。统计分析表明，两种螺的壳长和孔长差异显著。对130只蜗牛的一个子集进行了肝螺旋体和多伯尼螺旋体DNA检测。最初在每个物种10只的池中对蜗牛进行测试，随后对阳性池中的单个蜗牛进行单独检查。肝片形吸虫DNA仅在截骨棘球绦虫中检测到，而在截骨棘球绦虫和尖骨棘球绦虫中均检测到多布尼囊绦虫DNA。此外，从11个农场中的7个农场共收集了84只成年牛的肝吸虫，经形态计量学表征，并在分子上证实为肝吸虫。同时在牛粪便中检测到吸虫卵，在肝脏中检测到成年吸虫，在蜗牛中检测到吸虫DNA，这表明在这些农场正在积极传播。在欧洲已被确定为肝螺旋体和多伯尼螺旋体的主要中间宿主的截尾加尔巴在本研究中被证实在意大利野外条件下自然感染了这两种吸虫。有必要进行更广泛的季节性调查，以更好地确定感染动态。相比之下，在急性p.a acuta中检测多布尼梭菌DNA需要实验确认尾蚴脱落和对最终宿主的感染性，以确定其在吸虫传播中的实际作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Food and Waterborne Parasitology Immunology and Microbiology-Parasitology

CiteScore

5.10

自引率

4.00%

发文量

审稿时长

13 weeks

期刊介绍： Food and Waterborne Parasitology publishes high quality papers containing original research findings, investigative reports, and scientific proceedings on parasites which are transmitted to humans via the consumption of food or water. The relevant parasites include protozoa, nematodes, cestodes and trematodes which are transmitted by food or water and capable of infecting humans. Pertinent food includes products of animal or plant origin which are domestic or wild, and consumed by humans. Animals and plants from both terrestrial and aquatic sources are included, as well as studies related to potable and other types of water which serve to harbor, perpetuate or disseminate food and waterborne parasites. Studies dealing with prevalence, transmission, epidemiology, risk assessment and mitigation, including control measures and test methodologies for parasites in food and water are of particular interest. Evidence of the emergence of such parasites and interactions among domestic animals, wildlife and humans are of interest. The impact of parasites on the health and welfare of humans is viewed as very important and within scope of the journal. Manuscripts with scientifically generated information on associations between food and waterborne parasitic diseases and lifestyle, culture and economies are also welcome. Studies involving animal experiments must meet the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals as issued by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences.