Sympatric and allopatric combinations ofLymnaea columellaandFasciola hepaticafrom southern and south-eastern Brazil

Abstract

AbstractExperimental infections ofLymnaea columellawithFasciola hepaticawere carried out to test the effect of sympatric and allopatric combinations between parasite and host, by using snails and flukes from southern and south-eastern Brazil. Four groups of 50 snails were infected with four miracidia per snail: two groups in sympatric and two groups in allopatric combinations. Sympatric combinations between parasite and host were more efficient than allopatric ones when snails from Itajubá were used, but the opposite was observed in infections involving snails from Pelotas. The sympatric association betweenL. columellaandF. hepaticafrom Itajubá was significantly higher than in the other combinations. We concluded that the host–parasite relationship betweenL. columnellaandF. hepaticamay vary according to the geographical origin of the snails and flukes involved.