The effect of nutrition on the growth of Fasciola hepatica in its snail host

Abstract

Ever since the time of Thomas (1883) it has been accepted that the snail Limnaea trztncatulu plays an essential role in the epidemiology of fascioliasis. Thomas, whose investigations had been prompted by catastrophic losses of sheep in Britain during the years 1879-80, commented on the enormous numbers of snails that could at times be found, and it has been commonly assumed that there is a direct relationship between the numbers of the vector and the intensity of infection reaching the definitive host. Factors other than the size of the snail population are, however, involved.