Prevalence of snail’s intermediate host infected with different trematodes cercariae in and around Ranchi

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of snail's intermediate host affected with larval stages of different trematodes. Materials and Methods: Snails were collected from ponds, tanks, ditches, canals and crop fields in and around Ranchi. They were transported to the laboratory in water containers and maintained in small aquaria, supplemented with natural food stuff. Then, snails were screened randomly for their infection with different trematodes by cercarial shedding method. Result: A total of 600 snails of different species mainly Indoplanorbis, Gyraulus, Lymnaea spp. and Vivipara were screened by cercarial shedding method out of which 44 (7.33%) were found positive for different trematodes cercariae. The percentage of infection in Indoplanorbis spp., Lymneae spp. and Gyraulus spp. were 7.22%, 8.60%, and 14.67%, respectively. Prevalence was higher in Gyraulus whereas, Vivipara did not show any infection with trematodes cercariae. Conclusion: The present study reveals that Indoplanorbis spp., Lymnaea spp. and Gyraulus spp. are common snails found in and around Ranchi. These snails act as intermediate hosts having infective stages of parasites. Keywords: intermediate host, snails, Lymneae, Indoplanorbis, Gyraulus, Vivipara.