Insights on foodborne zoonotic trematodes in freshwater snails in North and Central Vietnam

Foodborne zoonotic trematode (FZT) infections are common neglected tropical diseases in Southeast Asia. Their complicated life cycles involve freshwater snails as intermediate hosts. A cross-sectional study was conducted Yen Bai and Thanh Hoa provinces North Central Vietnam, to investigate the diversity of cercariae potential FZT construct phylogenetic relationship based on Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) region. Among 17 snail species collected from various habitats, 13 were infected by 10 cercarial groups among which parapleurolophocercous, pleurolophocercous, echinostome importance. The monophyletic tree separated sequences into different following description families Haplorchidae, Opisthorchiidae, Echinochasmidae, Echinostomatidae important FZT. overall prevalence habitats showed a seasonal trend. Parapleurolophocercous emerged most Bai, while monostome, echinostome, megalura Hoa. Using molecular approach, we identified Parafossarulus striatulus first host Clonorchis sinensis Thac Ba Lake. Melanoides tuberculata Bithynia fuchsiana preferred hosts diverse range including intestinal flukes (i.e., Haplorchis pumilio Echinochasmus japonicus) Hoa, respectively.