Studies on the parasitology, phylogeography and the evolution of host-parasite interactions for the snail intermediate hosts of medically important trematode genera in Southeast Asia.

In this chapter a review of research published since 2000 on the biology of the snail intermediate hosts of trematode parasites of medical importance in Southeast Asia, and related taxa is presented. Recent taxonomic revisions of the first intermediate hosts of Paragonimus in the region are considered and an account of changes in current perspectives regarding the evolution of intermediate-host:parasite associations for both Paragonimus and Schistosoma is given. The latest phylogeographical hypotheses for Schistosoma, Paragonimus, Fasciola and Fasciolopsis are also reviewed and compared. Work performed in the region on the snail intermediate hosts of other less studied parasites, such as Opisthorchis/Clonorchis and haplorchids, is also described. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.