IDENTIFICATION OF CERCARIAE OF AFRICAN SCHISTOSOMA EMITTED BY BULINUS UMBILICATUS, B-TRUNCATUS AND B-FORSKALII

Three chaetotaxic indices, AD, AL and U, of cercariae of four pre-identified African Schistosoma species, obtained from natural or experimental infections, were established. AD and AL correspond respectively to the relative distance between the dorsal and lateral papillae. U corresponds to the total number of tail stem papillae. The simple comparison of average values of one or two of these three indices facilitated identification of the cercariae of Schistosoma haematobium and S. curassoni emitted by Bulinus umbilicatus, cercariae of S. haematobium and S. bovis shed by B. truncatus, and cercariae of S. bovis and S. intercalatum emitted by B. forskalii.