Species Diversity, Distribution, and Abundance of Freshwater Snails in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Disease distribution is correlated to the distribution of the freshwater snails which in turn is influenced by the physicochemical status of the habitats. This study aimed to evaluate freshwater snail species diversity, abundance, and distribution in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa, between December 2020 to February 2021. A total of 4576 freshwater snails consisting of 8 species were collected from 127 sites in 11 districts. Tarebia granifera snails were the most abundant (n = 2201), while bivalves (n = 95) were the least abundant. The highest and least Shannon–Weiner Simpson’s diversity indices were recorded in Ugu and iLembe districts, respectively. A negative relationship was observed between rainfall, Bulinus tropicus, Lymnaea natalensis, bivalves, and Physa acuta, while temperature had a positive relationship with B. globosus, B. pfeifferi, and T. granifera. A positive relationship was observed between B. globosus and B. pfeifferi (r = 0.713, p < 0.05). Snail presence constitutes potential health and economic risks to humans and animals in contact with the waterbody. Hence, our study described the current distribution, abundance, and species diversity of freshwater snails in the KZN province with insights into the possibilities of snail-based biological control for schistosomes intermediate host snails.