Pilot Malacology Surveys for the Intermediate Hosts of Schistosomiasis in Rural and Semi-Urban Areas of the Moyen-Ogooué Province, Gabon.

The objective of this pilot malacological survey was to identify the snail intermediate hosts for   in endemic rural and semi-urban areas of Gabon. Snails were collected, morphologically identified, and tested for infection by cercarial shedding. Released cercariae were morphologically identified using low-power light microscopy. A total of six species of snails were collected throughout the study area, with  , , and spp. being the most predominant species collected. Only the species were tested for infection by cercarial shedding, of which only shed cercariae. Some shed mammalian schistosome cercariae, while others shed cercariae. Our results indicate that appears to be a potential intermediate host of schistosomiasis in Gabon, where cases of , and infection are reported. However, it will be important to further understand the species diversity and transmission dynamics of schistosomes.