A review of the biology and transmission ecology of African bovine species of the genus Schistosoma.

The present paper reviews the information available concerning the biology and transmission ecology of the African bovine species Schistosoma bovis, S. mattheei, S. margrebowiei and S. leiperi. Criteria for species identification (egg morphology, intermediate host spectra, definitive host-parasite relationships, etc.) are listed and the geographical distribution of the four species and factors determining the relative occurrence within their overall distributional ranges are described. S bovis and S. mattheei occur north and south of 10 degrees S, respectively, and S. margrebowiei occurs mainly, and S. leiperi only, in southern central Africa. Definitive host-related factors (susceptibility, water contact pattern, ect.) providing the background for being a primary definitive host and the primary definitive host spectra for the four schistosome species are described. The primary definitive host spectrum for S. margrebowiei and S. leiperi comprise lechwe, puku and waterbuck, for S. mattheei lechwe, puku, waterbuck plus cattle, and for S. bovis cattle and possibly also some of the listed antelope species. In addition, wild bovines and cattle may provide a reservoir of S. mattheei and S. margrebowiei in humans, but wild bovines and domestic stock play no major role in the transmission of other human species of schistosomes. The intermediate snail host spectra of S. mattheei and S. leiperi only comprise members of the Bulinus africanus species complex; S. bovis is transmitted by members of the B. truncatus, B. africanus and B. forskalii species groups, and S. margrebowiei is transmitted by members of the B. forskalii species group and possibly also by members of the B. tropicus and B. truncatus species groups. Factors determining the transmission ecology of the four schistosome species, and thereby the epidemiology of bovine schistosomiasis, are discussed. Influential factors comprise environmental conditions mediated via the effect of these on the size of the snail host population and on the rate of the intramolluscan development, behavioural patterns of the definitive host population and the course of the infection in the definitive host as related to aspects of susceptibility and level of endemicity. The epidemiological pattern (prevalence and intensity of infection, seasonality of transmission, etc.) is described and exemplified, and it is finally concluded that the increasing water conservation and changing methods of husbandry may result in bovine schistosomiasis becoming a major veterinary problem in Africa.