Abstract

Gastropods are a diversed group of organisms which some general characteristics being; the muscular legs, present of the slimy substance that ease movement, the shell for protection etc. Snail is our gastropod of interest and is the African Land Snail (Archachatina marginata).

The snails where collected in Bokwaongo playgrounds, Buea and the practical exercise was carried out in the Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology and the head of the laboratory is Dr. Kamean Faustin, Molyko-Buea, Southwest Region, Cameroon. And in sampling the snail’s stool the direct smear method and the floatation technique were used.

And some materials used include; microscope, slide, glucose solution, distilled water, centrifuge, funnel, gauze, pipette, just to name a few. And the results showed that, there are parasites especially nematodes worms found in the stool of the snail which can be transmitted to humans if the snail is eaten undercooked. And to conclude, snail should be washed and cooked properly before eating.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Background

Gastropoda is derived from two Greek words meaning stomach and foot, the scientific name refers to the position of the foot below the gut. Gastropods belong to the phylum Mollusca and in terms of species, they are the largest class within the phylum.

The general characteristics of gastropods are; muscular legs, hard calcareous shell (some) that protects their internal organs loaded on their back, slippery secretion that ease movement, head, neck, tail, radula or ribbon-like tongue has thousands of tiny teeth, visceral hump, tentacles from head, eyes at the top of the main stalks.

1.1 Examples of gastropods

Snails, slugs, sea hares, limpets, whelks etc. it should be noted that snails belong to the class gastropoda, order stylommatophora, and family subulinidae.

1.2 Some type of snails

Land snails: roman snail, Mediterranean green snail, giant African land snail, garden snail, white garden snail, white-lipped snail, milk snail, candycane snail.

Freshwater snail: mystery snail, golden apple snail, rabbit snail, Colombian ramshorn apple snail.

Sea snails: common whelk snail, violet sea snail, Geography triton’s trumpet.

Gastropods are a diverse group of organisms that includes snails, slugs and other mollusks. They play a critical role in many ecosystems, serving as food for predators and helping to maintain the balance of the environment. However, they can also host a variety of parasite that can cause significant harm to humans and animal health. Some of the most well-known parasite found in gastropods are those that can cause schistosomiasis, a disease that affects millions of people worldwide.

Schistosomiasis is caused by a group of trematode parasites that live in freshwater snails. The parasite are released into the water when infected snails shed their eggs and can infect both humans and animals when they come in contact with contaminated water. Schistosomiasis can cause a range of symptoms; including fever, abdominal pain, and blood in urine or stool.

In severe cases, it can lead to liver damage, kidney failure, and other serious health problems.

Other parasites commonly found in gastropods include; nematodes, cestodes, and protozoans. These parasites can also cause a range of health problems including; gastrointestinal disorders, anemia, and other infections.

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