Snail Species Compostion and Trematode Larvae in Snails From Small Canals in Three Inland Districts of the Ho Chi Minh City Area, Vietnam

A study on the snail species composition and their cercariae was conducted in 8 sixth-level canals across three inland districts of the Ho Chi Minh City area, namely Cu Chi, Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh. The time of study was in January 2022 (the dry season) and July 2022 (the wet season). A total of 584 snail samples, representing 12 species from 12 genera and 7 families, were collected, and identified using morphological methods, with Melanoides tuberculata being the most dominant species. The total number of snail species observed during the rainy season (12 species) was higher than during the dry season (11 species). Four snail species were found to be infected with Xiphidio cercariae: Bithynia siamensis, Filopaludina sumatrensis, Sinotaia lithophaga, and Melanoides tuberculata while Indoplanorbis exustus was infected with Echinostome cercariae . The prevalence of trematode infection in snails was higher in the wet season compared to the dry season (P<0.05). The other seven snail species were free of cercariae. The findings provide valuable information about the diversity of snails in canals of the inland districts of Ho Chi Minh City. Further research on snails and cercariae in canals that supply water directly to fishponds and rice fields is recommended to support sustainably agricultural development.