ISSN Versión impresa 2218-6425 ISSN Versión Electrónica 1995-1043
Neotropical Helminthology, 2020, 14(2), jul-dic:249-252.
RESEARCH NOTE / NOTA CIENTIFICA
FIRST RECORD OF BIOMPHALARIA HELOPHILA (D'ORBIGNY, 1835)
IN JUTIAPA, GUATEMALA
PRIMER REPORTE DE BIOMPHALARIA HELOPHILA (D'ORBIGNY, 1835)
EN JUTIAPA, GUATEMALA
1Centro provincial de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología de Camagüey, Cuba/Departamento de Control de Vectores.
2
Facultad Tecnológica de la Salud “Octavio de la Concepción y de la Pedraja”. Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de
Camagüey, Cuba.
lorenzodieguez95@gmail.com / lfdieguez.cmw@infomed.sld.cu
3NPC/Enfermedades Transmisibles, Vigilancia y Análisis. OPS/OMS Guatemala
jaimeju@iadb.org
4Facultad Tecnológica de la Salud y Enfermería (FTSE). Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara, Cuba.
rigobertofimia66@gmail.com / rigobertofd@infomed.sld.cu
5Área de Salud de Jutiapa, Guatemala/Departamento de Control de Vectores/Laboratorio de Entomología y Control de
Vectores.
vec22jutiapa@gmail.com
6Sección de Entomología. Nivel Central.
7Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vectores. Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social. Guatemala.
dexbarrios@gmail.com
8Sección Entomología Médica Nivel Central.
9Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vectores. Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social. Guatemala.
vectorescentralmb@gmail.com
10Grupo de Investigación en Sostenibilidad Ambiental (GISA), Escuela Universitaria de Posgrado (EUPG), Laboratorio de
Ecología y Biodiversidad Animal (LEBA). Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas (FCNNM). Universidad Nacional
Federico Villarreal (UNFV). Lima, Perú.
11Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Ricardo Palma (URP). Lima, Perú. joseiannacone@gmail.com
*Corresponding author: lfdieguez.cmw@infomed.sld.cu / lorenzodieguez95@gmail.com
1,2* 3 4
Lorenzo Diéguez-Fernández ; Jaime Abraham Juárez-Sandoval ; Rigoberto Fimia- Duarte ;
5 5 6,7
Milton Vinicio Monzón-Muñoz ; Jaime Rodríguez-Flores ; Dex Yorman Barrios-Barrios ;
8,9 10,11
Mónica Elisa Barrientos-Juarez, & José Iannacone
Neotropical Helminthology
249
doi:10.24039/rnh2020142806
ÓrganooficialdelaAsociaciónPeruanadeHelmintologíaeInvertebradosAfines(APHIA)
Lima-Perú
VersiónImpresa:ISSN2218-6425VersiónElectrónica:ISSN1995-1043
Volume14,Number2(jul-dec)2020
The presence of the freshwater mollusk Biomphalaria helophila (d'Orbigny, 1835) (Gastropoda:
Planorbidae) in Jutiapa, Guatemala is reported. The 11 specimens with different stages of growth were
captured at two sites, in Laguneta El Muchacho, San Diego la Danta Village, Moyuta municipality (n=6)
and in a puddle in Achotal Village, Asunción Mita municipality (n=5). This is the first report of the species
for Jutiapa, Guatemala.
ABSTRACT
Keywords: chonchology – Gastropoda – Guatemala – Mollusca – morphology - parasitology
INTRODUCTION
250
RESUMEN
Palabra clave: Concología – Gastropoda – Guatemala – Mollusca – morfología – parasitología
Se reporta la presencia del molusco de agua dulce Biomphalaria helophila (d'Orbigny, 1835)
(Gastropoda: Planorbidae) en Jutiapa, Guatemala. Los 11 ejemplares con diferentes etapas de crecimiento
fueron capturados en dos sitios, en Laguneta El Muchacho, San Diego la Danta Village, municipio
Moyuta (n=6) y en un charco en Achotal Village, municipio Asunción Mita (n=5). Este es el primer reporte
de la especie para Jutiapa, Guatemala.
Neotropical Helminthology, 2020, 14(2), jul-dic
in the transmission of the disease in the region of
the Americas.
Two small populations of Biomphalaria helophila
(d'Orbigny, 1835) (Gastropoda: Planorbidae)
(Figure), consisting of 11 specimens with different
growth stages were discovered on March 7, 2019 in
Laguneta El Muchacho, San Diego la Danta
Village, Moyuta municipality (n=6) (Reg.=No.46-
2019-Jut), which is used for public baths and
commercial fishing, as well as on December 13,
2019 in a puddle in the Achotal Village (n=5)
(Reg.=No.5-2019-Jut), Asunción Mita
municipality both of the Department of Jutiapa,
Guatemala.
In the capture of the specimens, a bronze strainer
(15 cm in diameter with 1 mm mesh pitch) was
used to remove the different substrates and once
sieved; the entire content was poured into a white
plastic tray on which the specimens were separated
with the help of a soft copper clamp. The method
consisted of capture per unit of effort for 30 min
without replacement (Diéguez et al., 2019). A total
of 25 bodies of natural fresh water were surveyed,
of the lentic and lotic type, shallow with and
without aquatic vegetation, floating and adjacent,
resulting in two bodies of water with the presence
of the species (8,00 %).
Biomphalaria helophila is characterized by
presenting a shell of up to seven mm, with four
turns that increase rapidly; opening slightly tilted
upwards; generally more than six prostatic
diverticula (Vázquez & Sánchez, 2015).
The genus Biomphalaria (Preston, 1910)
(Gastropoda: Planorbidae) is well known for its
important role in the transmission of the relevant
medical and veterinary diseases, such is the case of
schistosomiasis (Yong, 1998), considered one of
the most important parasitic diseases in the world
(WHO, 2002), the which is produced by parasites
of the genus Schistosoma (Weinland, 1858) within
which Schistosoma mansoni (Sambon, 1907)
stands out (Caldeira et al., 2016; Mitta et al., 2017).
The malacological studies that intensively began in
2017 in Jutiapa, Guatemala, allowed to
preliminarily knowing the richness of existing
species in the country, as well as the areas where an
outbreak of diseases in which they are involved
may occur sporadically (Diéguez et al., 2019).
Planorbids are generally associated with certain
types of freshwater habitats in which many other
vector species can be found (Vázquez et al., 2010),
and in which there is significant anthropic activity
as occurs in the Department of Jutiapa. This fact
increases the risk of transmission of diseases to
man, since natural water bodies have a wide use by
the local population, such as for washing,
commercial fishing, various recreational activities
and where there may be mollusk freshwater
situation that brings them closer to man
considerably, for it reason we need to try to
diminish or in the best in the cases to prevent the
parasites incidence in probable transmission areas
(Vázquez et al., 2013, 2015).
Although in Guatemala there are still no official
reports of cases of schistosomiosis in humans, we
intend with this study to report the presence of an
important species of freshwater mollusk, involved
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Diéguez-Fernández et al.
aquatic vegetation, reaching high population
densities when it finds appropriate environmental
conditions (Yong et al., 2001).
Based on this report, it is necessary to intensify
malacological surveys to locate other populations
of the species inside and outside the Department,
and with it, determine the mechanisms that it may
be using to colonize natural water bodies in the
country, studies that in other countries of Central
America and the Caribbean have already been
previously described (Pointier et al., 2005), since
the presence of the species constitutes a potential
risk of becoming ill, especially in aquariums where
human activity is important, as it is a potential
intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni.
It has been observed in the studies carried out to
date in the Department, that the abundance of
planorbids is much lower compared to other
species such as Melanoides tuberculata (Müller,
1774) (Diéguez et al., 2019), fact that is beneficial
since this thiarido is an effective bioregulator of
other undesirable mollusk species, about whose
effectiveness important experiences have been
developed in Cuba without causing problems to the
ecosystem (Perera & Walls, 1996).
We recommend expanding these investigations to
other Departments of the country, as well as
developing detailed "in situ" studies of the ecology
of the detected species, in order to know the
distribution patterns and their interspecific
relationships, which will contribute to the more
successful design of surveillance strategies and
control of undesirable mollusk for the Central
American region.
Ethic aspects:
This investigation was subject to ethical norms that
facilitated to reduce to the minimum the damage
possible to the gathered specimens, to the breeding
places, as well as to the technical personnel
involved in the identification of the gathered
samples, for this way, to be able to generate new
knowledge without violating the established
ethical principles for these cases. All the authors
involved in the investigation, publication and
diffusion of the results, we are responsible for the
dependability and accuracy of the shown results
(DHAMM, 2013).
Competing Interests:
The authors declare that there is no conflict of
interests regarding the publication of this paper.
Schistosomiasis remains one of the most prevalent
parasitic diseases worldwide and endemic in many
countries and territories (Engels et al., 2002). In
Latin America 24 species and one subspecies were
registered of genus Biomphalaria involved in the
transmission of the disease, four of them can be
found naturally infected by S. mansoni, whereas
six were found to be susceptible in the laboratory
(Caldeira et al., 2016).
Biomphalaria helophila is one of the best
represented species in the American region and is
frequently found in stable aquatic ecosystems
(Perera, 1996). It is also usually associated with
251
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
10 mm
(A) (B)
Figure 1. Biomphalaria helophila shell. (A): Side view. (B): View of the aperture.
Neotropical Helminthology, 2020, 14(2), jul-dic Biomphalaria helophila in Jutiapa
252
Caldeira, R.L.; Teodoro, T.M.; Jannotti-Passos,
L.K.; Lira-Moreira, P.M.; Goveia, CH.O. &
Carvalho, O.S. 2016. Characterization of
South American snails of the genus
Biompha lar ia ( B a s o m m a t o p h o r a :
Planorbidae) and Schistosoma mansoni
(Platyhelminthes: Trematoda) in Molluscs
by PC R-RFLP. BioMed Research
International. vol. 2016, pp. Article
1045391.
DHAMM (Declaración de Helsinki de la AMM).
2013. Principios éticos para las
investigaciones médicas en seres humanos.
64ª Asamblea General, Fortalez, Brazil,
octubre. World Medical Association, Inc. –
All Rights reserved. 9 pp.
Diéguez, L.; Monzón, M.V.; Rodríguez, J.; Juárez,
J.A.; Iannacone, J. & Fimia, R. 2019.
Distribución y hábitats preferenciales de los
moluscos dulceacuícolas provenientes de
Jutiapa, Guatemala. Biotempo, vol. 16, pp.
11-21.
Engels, D.; Chitsulo, L.; Montresor, A. & Savioli, l.
2002. The global epidemiological situation
of schistosomiasis and new approaches to
control and research. Acta Tropica, vol. 82,
pp. 139–146.
Mitta, G.; Gourbal, B.; Grunau, C.; Knight, M.;
Bridger, J.M. & Théron, A. 2017. The
compatibility between Biomphalaria
glabrata snails and Schistosoma mansoni:
An increasingly vomplex puzzle. Advances
in Parasitology, vol. 97. pp. 111-145.
Perera, G. 1996. Ecologie des mollusques d'eau
douce d'intérêt médical et vétérinaire à
Cuba. PhD Thesis, Perpignan, 105 pp.
Perera, G. & Walls, J.G. 1996. Apple snails in the
aquarium, TFH Publications, New Jersey,
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES 121 pp.
Pointier, J.P.; Yong, M. & Gutiérrez, A. 2005.
Guide to the freshwater molluscs of Cuba.
Conchbooks, Hackenheim, 120 pp.
Yong, M. 1998. Biosystématique des mollusques
d'eau douce d'intérêt médical et vétérinaire
à Cuba. PhD Thesis, Perpignan, 104 pp.
Yong, M.; Gutiérrez, A.; Perera, G.; Durand, P. &
Pointier, J.P. 2001. The Biomphalaria
havanensis c omplex (Gas tropoda:
Planorbidae) in Cuba: a morphological
and genetic study. Journal of Molluscan
Studies, vol. 67, pp. 103-111.
Vázquez, A.A.; Sánchez, J. & Hevia, Y. 2010.
Distribution and habitat preferences of the
genus Biomphalaria (Gastropoda:
Planorbidae) in Cuba. Memórias do
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, vol.
105, pp. 41-44.
Vázquez, R.; Diéguez, L.; Fimia, R. & Iannacone,
J. 2015. Environmental influence on the
abundance of two populations of Physella
acuta (Pulmonata: Physidae) from
C a m a g ü e y ( C u b a ) . N e o t r o p i c a l
Helminthology, vol. 9, pp. 243-252.
Vázquez, R.; Diéguez, L.; del Risco, U.; Fimia, R.
& Vázquez, A.A. 2013. Pseudosuccinea
columella (Mollusca: Gastropoda:
Lymnaeidae) en Camagüey. Revista
Cubana de Medicina Tropical, vol. 65, pp.
388-393.
World Health Organization (WHO). 2002.
Prevention and control of schistosomiasis
and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. WHO
Technical Report Series 912, Geneva, 57 pp.
Received August 12, 2020.
Accepted September 22, 2020.
Neotropical Helminthology, 2020, 14(2), jul-dic Diéguez-Fernández et al.
