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Aquatic snails, passive hosts of Mycobacterium ulcerans

Laurent Marsollier1, Tchibozo Sévérin, Jacques Aubry

  • 1Unité de Génétique bactérienne, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, France. marsol@pasteur.fr.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|October 7, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Aquatic snails can temporarily carry Mycobacterium ulcerans, the bacteria causing Buruli ulcer disease. Predator aquatic insects, like water bugs, may transmit the bacteria after feeding on infected snails, revealing a new transmission link.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Infectious disease epidemiology
  • Vector-borne disease research

Background:

  • Mycobacterium ulcerans causes Buruli ulcer disease, a chronic skin infection.
  • Epidemiological evidence links M. ulcerans to aquatic environments.
  • The precise transmission pathway of M. ulcerans remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of snails in M. ulcerans epidemiology.
  • To identify potential intermediate hosts or vectors in M. ulcerans transmission.
  • To explore the interaction between M. ulcerans, snails, and aquatic insects.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental exposure of snails (Helix pomatia) to M. ulcerans.
  • Co-habitation of infected snails with predator aquatic insects (Naucoris cimicoides).
  • Bacteriological analysis to detect M. ulcerans in snails and insects.

Main Results:

  • Snails can harbor M. ulcerans transiently, but without supporting bacterial growth.
  • Naucoris cimicoides, a predatory water bug, became infected with M. ulcerans after feeding on exposed snails.
  • This suggests a novel role for predator aquatic insects as potential vectors.

Conclusions:

  • Snails act as transient reservoirs for M. ulcerans.
  • Predator aquatic insects, specifically water bugs, represent a likely intermediate link in M. ulcerans transmission.
  • Understanding these transmission dynamics is crucial for Buruli ulcer disease control.

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