Occurrence of Biomphalaria kuhniana (Clessin, 1883) in Piauí State, Brazil

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To present the first record of Biomphalaria kuhniana in Piauí State, Brazil.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Mollusk collection took place at the Boa Esperança dam, located in Guadalupe City (area I), and the Lagoas do Norte Complex (area II), in Teresina. Specimens were collected directly using sieves and/or tweezers. The samples were sorted and sent to the Laboratory of Helminthology and Medical Malacology at the Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, a national reference for schistosomiasis, for morphological and molecular identification, followed by Schistosoma mansoni cercaria exam.

RESULTS:

The study included 15 collection points, 12 in area I, yielding eight specimens of Biomphalaria straminea and four of B. kuhniana, and three points in area II, with one specimen of B. straminea and 40 of B. kuhniana. All mollusks were negative for S. mansoni cercariae.

CONCLUSION:

This first report of B. kuhniana in Piauí contributes to the understanding of Biomphalaria mollusk biodiversity in the region and highlights the importance of molecular techniques for distinguishing B. straminea from B. kuhniana. The occurrence of B. straminea indicates the need for further research into potential transmission foci of schistosomiasis mansoni in Piauí, as this species is the primary host of S. mansoni in Northeastern Brazil.