Abstract
Host – parasite interactions are biological systems that probably affect every living being. It also constitute a key factor in the understanding of infectious diseases. This subject has been studied using the Fasciola hepatica/Lymnaeidae system in the insular environment of Cuba. This thesis makes a biological multidisciplinary approach through population ecology (distribution and abundance of intermediary hosts snails), infection rates estimations of parasites in their hosts, population genetics using microsatellites markers (for both parasite and snails hosts), and studies of susceptibility and compatibility fluke/snail.The genetic diversity of the parasite is characterized by high values of diversity as well as probability of cross fertilization. However, we failed to detect significant differences between the strains but a highly infection rate is shared in cattle.Regarding the lymnaeid snails, the distribution of the two occurring species is mapped showing that Galba cubensis is widely distributed while Pseudosuccinea columella only exists in central-western Cuba. Both snail species differ in preferred habitat types and G. cubensis displays a higher ecological plasticity commonly observed in heavily human-transformed sites.Differences in host-parasite compatibilities have been revealed. It has been noted the existence of some populations of P. columella with a natural resistance to F. hepatica infection which display a marked differentiation of their population genetic structure compared to susceptible populations. Most susceptible populations are monomorphic with a very common haplotype in Cuba. Conversely, we observed a higher diversity in G. cubensis indicating a larger evolutionary time in Cuba. The sampling conducted in a fasciolosis endemic area revealed very low prevalences in the snail populations. However, strong variation in parasite mean intensity within individuals supports the high infection rates observed in cattle. Different sympatric and allopatric fluke/snail combinations were experimentally tested in which G. cubensis proved to be more compatible and suggest a better adaptation to the circulating F. hepatica in Cuba.Our results show that the understanding of infectious diseases’ dynamics and their effective control must strictly rely in a full knowledge of the biology, ecology, genetics and evolution of host – parasite systems.