Oncomelania lorelindoensis: the intermediate host of Sulawesi’s Schistosoma japonicum

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, I report a study of the genus Oncomelania focused on Schistosoma japonicum and Oncomelania lorelindoensis as the intermediate hosts of Sulawesi schistosomiasis japonica, their distributions in Sulawesi, and control of O. lorelindoensis. Principal results: Proto-Oncomelania originated in eastern Indonesia, Sulawesi. It spread to the Philippines, Japan, and China, and then gave rise to Oncomelania. It is the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum. The genus Oncomelania comprises five species: Oncomelania hupensis, O. lorelindoensis (formerly O. hupensis lindoensis), O. minima, O. robertsoni, and O. quadrasi. Oncomelania lorelindoensis is the intermediate host of Sulawesi S. japonicum. It occurs in and around the Lore Lindu National Park: the Bada Valley, the Lindu Valley, and the Napu Valley, Central Sulawesi. This organism may have prevailed in the Kulawi Valley and the Palu Valley of Central Sulawesi Province. Control of O. lorelindoensis can use mechanic techniques, molluscicides, and genetic manipulation techniques. Conclusions: Oncomelania lorelindoensisoccurs in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia: the Bada Valley, the Lindu Valley, and the Napu Valley. It may also have expanded to other areas around Lore Lindu National Park. This organism is the intermediate host of Sulawesi S. japonicum.