Identification and Determination of the Geographical Distribution of Freshwater Snails in Lorestan, Iran

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

3 Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Abstract

Snails are creatures present in various ecosystems that, in addition to being present in human surroundings, some of them are also important in veterinary medicine and medicine as the intermediate hosts of Digenean trematodes. The present study was conducted to identify and determine the geographical distribution of freshwater snails and investigate the relationship of variables, such as season and geographical region, with snail species and dispersion in Lorestan in the west of Iran. A total of 4400 samples of freshwater snails were collected using the multistage sampling method (i.e., stratified, cluster, and randomized) from 110 points in five geographical regions in four seasons and then identified based on their morphological characteristics by diagnostic keys. The ArcGIS software (version 10.3) was used to evaluate the spatial distribution of the freshwater snails. In this study, seven species of freshwater snails were identified in six families belonging to six genera, namely Melanopsis doriae (6.30% of the variation in species), Theodoxus doriae (5.55%), Bithynia tentaculata (43.22%, the dominant species), Physa acuta (24.98%), Lymnaea truncatula (9.75%), Gyraulus euphraticus (8.18%), and Lymnaea gedrosiana (2.02%). The geographic distribution of freshwater snails was recorded across five regions in 22 points per region for every season. The spatial distribution maps showed that the distribution of freshwater snails varies according to region and season (P<0.001). The obtained results revealed the effects of season and geographical region on the distribution and population density of snails in the province. These data can be used for the implementation of control programs against parasitic diseases in the region, including trematodes.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Article Title [French]

Identification et Détermination de la Répartition Géographique des Escargots d'Eau Douce dans la Province du Lorestan en Iran

Abstract [French]

Les escargots sont des créatures présentes dans divers écosystèmes qui, en plus d'être répandues dans l'environnement humain, certains d'entre eux s’avèrent être également importants en médecine vétérinaire et humaine en tant qu'hôtes intermédiaires des trématodes digéniens. Cette étude a été menée afin d’identifier et de déterminer la répartition géographique des escargots d'eau douce dans le Lorestan ainsi que d’étudier la relation existante entre la distribution des espèces d'escargots dans l'ouest de l'Iran et différents variables, telles que la saison et la région géographique. Un total de 4400 échantillons d’escargots d'eau douce a été collecté à l'aide de la méthode d'échantillonnage à plusieurs degrés (c'est-à-dire stratifiés, groupés et randomisés) à partir de 110 points repartis sur cinq régions géographiques et les quatre saisons. Ensuite les spécimens ont été identifiés en fonction de leurs caractéristiques morphologiques par des clés de diagnostic. Le logiciel ArcGIS (version 10.3) a été utilisé pour évaluer la distribution spatiale des escargots d'eau douce. Dans cette étude, sept espèces d'escargots d'eau douce ont été identifiées appartenant à six familles et six genres, à savoir Melanopsis doriae (6,30% de la variation des espèces ), Theodoxus doriae (5,55%), Bithynia tentaculata (43,22%, l'espèce dominante), Physa acuta (24,98%), Lymnaea truncatula (9,75%), Gyraulus euphraticus (8,18%) et Lymnaea gedrosiana (2,02%). La distribution géographique des escargots d'eau douce a été enregistrée dans cinq régions (22 points par région pour chaque saison). Les cartes de distribution spatiale ont montré que la distribution des escargots d'eau douce varie selon la région et la saison (P <0,001). Les résultats obtenus ont révélé les effets de la saison et de la région géographique sur la répartition et la densité des populations d’escargots dans la province. Ces données peuvent être utilisées pour la mise en œuvre de programmes de lutte contre les maladies parasitaires dans la région, y compris les trématodes.

Keywords [French]

  • identification
  • Escargot d'eau douce
  • Distribution géographique
  • Lorestan
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