Infection of Snail Host with Trematode Larval Stages in India: A Mini Review

Digenetic life cycle is very complex completing in intermediate and definitive hosts. In trematode parasites, snails serve as the first intermediate host harbouring its larval stages such as sporocyst, redia and cercaria and the vertebral host serving as their definitive host. So, snail infection with trematode parasite indirectly results in the infection of the definitive host including human. In India, limited studies are available on the infection status of snail hosts with different trematodes larval stages. Most of the studies are confined to the central India, a few from the southern region but almost no reports are available from the northeastern states. But, native peoples in some states of northeastern India, usually consume snails as their delicacy. From the review analysis, snail species of the genus Melanoides, Lymnae, Thiara, Bithynia, Malenoides, Indoplanorbis, Thiara found infected with trematode cercarial stage of different types: furcocercous, xiphidiocercous, monostome, gymnocephalous, Echinostome, parapleurolophocercous cercaria. Studies revealed that there arises urgency for an extensive survey in the infection status of snail host with various parasites in every corner of the country.