Biological control of Biomphalaria, the intermediate host of Schistosoma spp.: a systematic review

Friani, G. and Amaral, A. M. R. do and Quinelato, S. and Mello-Silva, C. C. and Golo, P. S.

Ciencia Rural (2023) 53:

DOI: 10.1590/0103-8478cr20210714

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is an important vector-borne disease transmitted by an intermediate host: a freshwater mollusk. Control of these snail vectors is one of the strategies of the World Health Organization against the disease. The present study was based on a systematic review of published scientific papers concerning the biological control of snails (genus Biomphalaria), and identified the ongoing challenges and propose future perspectives. The review methodology was based on the PRISMA statement, the international databases Web of Science and Scopus for the period 1945-2021. In total, 47 papers were analyzed, published by authors from 14 different countries, the majority being from: France, Brazil, the United States, and Egypt. The most widely used strategy for biological control was predation by fish (12 studies). Fourteen papers were published in the most prolific decade 2010-2019; during which there was also a greater diversity of biological control agents in studies. In this context, we believed that one of the principal challenges of this approach is the successful simultaneous use of multiple types of biological control agent: predators, competitors, and/or microbial agents. This new approach may provide important insights for the development of new biological control agents or microbial-based products, with the potential to reduce the parasite load carried by schistosomiasis snail vector and control its transmission in a sustainable way.

Citation

Friani, G., Amaral, A. M. R. do, Quinelato, S., Mello-Silva, C. C., & Golo, P. S. (2023). Biological control of Biomphalaria, the intermediate host of Schistosoma spp.: a systematic review. Ciencia Rural, 53(4). https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20210714 systematic reviews, aquatic animals, aquatic organisms, human diseases, disease transmission, helminthoses, helminths, hosts, infections, parasites, parasitoses, fish, trematode infections, biological activity, vector-borne diseases, antimicrobial properties, schistosomiasis, intermediate hosts, natural enemies, biological control, biological control agents, freshwater invertebrates, freshwater molluscs

Keywords

• systematic reviews
• aquatic animals
• aquatic organisms
• human diseases
• disease transmission
• helminthoses
• helminths
• hosts
• infections
• parasites
• parasitoses
• fish
• trematode infections
• biological activity
• vector-borne diseases
• antimicrobial properties
• schistosomiasis
• intermediate hosts
• natural enemies
• biological control
• biological control agents
• freshwater invertebrates
• freshwater molluscs