The epidemiology of schistosome infections of snails: taking the theory into the field.

Most field studies of the epidemiology of schistosome infections of snails have been essentially descriptive in nature. Although much use has been made of epidemiological models in the interpretation of experimental studies of schistosome-snail interactions, the models have had restricted application outside the laboratory. Here, Mark Woolhouse and Steve Chandiwana make use of a theoretical framework in discussing current understanding of schistisome-snail epidemiological patterns in the field, and then consider the implications of the analysis for the control of schistosomiasis.