Susceptibility patterns of Bithynia siamensis siamensis and Bithynia funiculata to Opisthorchis viverrini infection: an indication of the risk of opisthorchiasis transmission in non-endemic areas

Among the snail species acting as hosts for medically significant trematodes, only three taxa of Bithynia are responsible for transmitting the carcinogenic liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini to humans in different geographical areas. Although B. siamensis goniomphalos is the primary species responsible for O. viverrini transmission in endemic areas, B. siamensis siamensis and B. funiculata remain potential hosts for transmission. This study objects to determine the susceptibility of B. siamensis siamensis and B. funiculata to O. viverrini to assess the risk of O. viverrini transmission in non-endemic areas. The snails of both species were first introduced to O. viverrini eggs, after which O. viverrini infection was investigated using specific PCR primers after a period of 1, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days post-infection (dpi). Opisthorchis viverrini infection in both B. siamensis siamensis and B. funiculata was high in the early period (1 and 7 dpi) while decreasing over time. It was also shown that the odds of susceptibility to O. viverrini infection in B. siamensis siamensis were 64.5% higher relative to the odds of susceptibility in B. funiculata ( P < 0.05). Results of this study provide an early insight into the Bithynia-Opisthorchis relationship and thus have great potential to assess risk and raise awareness of opisthorchiasis in non-endemic regions, especially in regions endemic for B. siamensis siamensis.