[Prevalence of snails and Schistosome cercariae and correlation with meteorological factors in Punjab, Pakistan]

ABSTRACT

Overall 10389 snails were collected from four study areas of Punjab from November 2005 to October 2006. The highest prevalence [38%] was found for Indoplanorbis followed by Physa [17%], Bellamaya [10.3%], Gyraulus [10%], Lymnaea[9.2%], Oncomelania [9%] and the lowest was found for Bulinus [6.7%]. Only Indoplanorbis snails were found to be positive for Schistosoma bovis cercaria. Correlation between snails' infection and meteorological factors like relative humidity [%] and rainfall [mm] were significant [P<0.05] while this correlation was not significant for temperature [°C] and pan evaporation [mm]