Identifying gastropods of parasitological concern for pets in Greece

Policy concern: public health, disease vector, parasites

Eobania vermiculata by Ferran Turmo Gort [CC BY NC SA 2.0]

Recently, terrestrial snails and slugs acting as intermediate hosts of parasites infecting humans and pets, have gained special attention because several of the nematode parasites they transmit, are spreading among domestic and wildlife populations throughout Europe. In order to survey the prevalence and expansion of these parasites, it is necessary to identify their intermediate snail and slug hosts as accurately as possible.

BopCo is applying DNA barcoding together with morphology-based identifications to identify terrestrial snails and slugs collected in Greece in the framework of an epidemiological survey undertaken by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Publications & presentations

  • Van Bourgonie Y.R., Dimzas D., Diakou A., Di Cesare A., Traversa D. , De Meyer M. & Backeljau T. ‘DNA barcoding and identification of gastropods of parasitological concern for animals in Greece ‘. 25th Congress of Zoology, 14-15 December 2018, Antwerp, Belgium.
  • Dimzas, D., Morelli, S., Traversa, D., Di Cesare, A., Van Bourgonie, Y. R., Breugelmans, K., Backeljau, T., di Regalbono, A.F. and Diakou, A., 2020. ‘Intermediate gastropod hosts of major feline cardiopulmonary nematodes in an area of wildcat and domestic cat sympatry in Greece’. Parasites & Vectors, 13(1), 1-12. DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04213-z

Partners & collaborators 

School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Eobania vermiculata by H_Zell [CC BY SA 3.0]