Hidden digenean diversity in two African protected areas: metabarcoding as a tool for parasite identification

Area of Science:

• Parasitology
• Ecology
• Molecular biology

Background:

• African protected areas are vital for wildlife but their parasite diversity is largely unknown.
• Global change poses a threat to parasite biodiversity, potentially causing extinctions.
• Digenean trematodes, with complex life cycles, are sensitive to environmental changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize trematode communities in freshwater snails from Kruger National Park (KNP) and Bwabwata National Park (BNP).
• To assess trematode alpha diversity and co-infection patterns across snail species.
• To evaluate the utility of metabarcoding for parasite diversity assessment.

Main Methods:

• A metabarcoding approach targeting the nuclear 28S rDNA gene was employed.
• Freshwater snail hosts were sampled from KNP, South Africa, and BNP, Namibia.
• Trematode communities, alpha diversity, and co-infection rates were analyzed.

Main Results:

• High trematode diversity and co-infection rates were detected in snail hosts.
• Species of veterinary (Schistosoma mattheei, Fasciola gigantica) and conservation (Riberioa cf. ondatrae) importance were identified.
• The invasive snail Tarebia granifera exhibited significantly higher trematode richness and universal co-infection.

Conclusions:

• Metabarcoding is a powerful tool for assessing parasite diversity and within-host communities.
• There is an urgent need for improved molecular reference databases for trematodes.
• Findings have significant implications for biodiversity management, veterinary health, and public health surveillance in African protected areas.