Selection of susceptible lines of biomphalaria alexandria and bulinus tuncatus snails to S mansoni and S haematobium infection

Selection of progenies from infected B. Alexandrina and B. truncatus snails resulted in higher infection rates. This observation was consistent when the source of micardia were from either infected human or hamsters. Infection rate of B. Alexandrina increased up to 88.2% while B. truncatus did not. Compatibility between the parasites and their intermediate hosts were also studied

hamster as an animal model to study nephropathy secondary to schistosoma mansoni infection

Sera and urine samples from control and S. mansoni infected hamsters were tested to assess kidney functions. Hamsters were infected with different doses of cercariae. Sera and urine samples were collected after different infection periods. A nonlethal dose, 50 cercariae, is enough to express kidney disease. The disease become biochemically detected after 6 weeks post infection. Significant proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia were observed in schistosome infected animals but not in controls. A significant hyperglobulinaemia with concomitant reduction in A/G ratio was also noticed. Correlations between these changes and both duration and load of schistosome infection were significant. We conclude that S. mansoni infection causes nephropathy in the golden hamster. Proteinuria level is a simple not invasive measure to indicate kidney disease secondary to S. mansoni infection in hamsters