STUDIES ON THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF BIOMPHALARIA PFEIFFERI RUEPPELLII (DUNKER) AND B. SUDANICA (MARTENS) TO SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI IN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Biomphalaria pfeifferi rueppellii and B. sudanica collected at various sites in Ethiopia, were exposed to Ethiopian strain of Schistosoma mansoni. Striking differences were observed in susceptibility of the two species of snail vectors to the Ethiopian strain. The infection rate of B. pfeifferi rueppellii with S. mansoni ranged from 67 to 100 %, while that of B. sudanica was only 9 %. It appeared that B. pfeifferi rueppellii would serve as the most important intermediate vector to S. mansoni in Ethiopia.