Résumé
Introduction and Objectives : Trematodes parasites –major players of zoonoses of worldwide relevance- have tightly evolved with snails, being the latter ultimately mandatory hosts for their existence. Species of Lymnaeidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) are hosts of a wide spectrum of trematodes. Particularly, Galba spp. play a key role in the transmission of Fasciola hepatica (liver fluke, affecting over 30 million people worldwide) and Calicophoron daubneyi (rumen fluke, infecting ruminants). Both parasites are in re-emergence in Europe. Genus Galba comprises small, amphibious species of high crypticity that usually differ in their ecology, ultimately affecting the rate of snail-parasite encounter. Molecular identification of Galba spp. is then capital to the understanding of the epidemiological patterns. Here we provide novel results of their experimental susceptibility and overall compatibility to the circulating isolates of the above-mentioned trematodes.Materials and Methods : We used a combined field ecology and experimental parasitology approach to unveil the distribution and susceptibility of cryptic Galba spp. to circulating flukes.Results, Discussion and Conclusion : While G. truncatula (a long widespread species in Europe) has been considered the main intermediate host for both parasites, the exotic G. schirazensis (native to the Americas) showed 100% prevalence when experimentally exposed to C. daubneyi but failed to develop infection of F. hepatica with significant reduced survival. As expected, G. truncatula showed 100% prevalence after exposure to both trematodes but significant less parasite intensity (total rediae and metecercariae at day 30 post-exposure) in the case of C. daubneyi when compared to G. schirazensis. Hence, we provide the first evidence of the ability of G. schirazensis to transmit the rumen fluke. Given that both Galba spp. differ in their ecology, we suggest that the spread of G. schirazensis in Europe will inflect dramatic shifts in the transmission patterns of both trematodes in the frame of the ongoing climatic change.