August 19, 2026BMC Environmental ScienceOpen Access
Longitudinal malacological monitoring, with a parasitological survey, reveals new schistosomiasis transmission foci in deforested sites in Western Uganda
Longitudinal study reveals expanded schistosomiasis transmission and snail host abundance in deforested upland habitats, highlighting deforestation-driven disease emergence.
Key Points
To evaluate the impact of forest clearance and land-use change on intermediate host snail populations and the emergence of schistosomiasis transmission foci in upland Western Uganda.
Conducted 18-month bimonthly snail sampling across nine freshwater sites (June 2023–October 2024), measuring water temperature, conductivity, and pH alongside 20-year satellite land-use change analyses.
Identified 2,524 Biomphalaria and 422 Bulinus snails morphologically, tested them for Schistosoma cercariae shedding via molecular analysis, and screened local school-aged children (n = 41) for infection.
Biomphalaria snail abundance was significantly higher in deforested, human-encroached sites (p < 0.01), with Schistosoma cercariae shed by 0.4% of Biomphalaria and 1.9% of Bulinus (monthly peaks of 3.1% and 3.7%, respectively).
Molecular analysis identified Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma bovis, and Schistosoma rodhaini cercariae, while local school-aged children (n = 41) exhibited a 56.1% prevalence of intestinal schistosomiasis.
Satellite data revealed an 18.0% reduction in forest cover and 57.0% loss of shrubland, establishing new transmission foci up to 15 km away from Lake Albert.