Detecting and identifying Schistosoma infections in snails and aquatic habitats: A systematic review
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009175
- PMID
- 33760814
- PMCID
- PMC8021170
- OpenAlex
- W3136559053
- Study type
- Systematic review
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Ability to detect schistosome infections in snails or water is essential for control and elimination programs to succeed. Field testing, standardization, sequence verification, and improvements in target selection are needed for long-term programmatic success.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The review evaluated techniques for diagnosing Schistosoma infections in snails and water at potential transmission sites to inform WHO guideline development for schistosomiasis control and elimination.
Study design
Systematic review following PRISMA methodology, searching multiple databases from 1970 to September 2020, with GRADE evidence assessment for retained techniques. The search included bibliography review and investigator contact, screening 949 articles and retaining 158 for data extraction.
Population and setting
The review focused on potential schistosomiasis transmission sites where snail intermediate hosts and water need to be monitored for Schistosoma infections.
Main findings
Twenty-five different diagnostic techniques were identified. GRADE analysis rated environmental DNA, qPCR, and LAMP as moderate quality evidence. qPCR-based protocols were found to be versatile, mature, sensitive, and specific, though requiring centralized facilities. Droplet digital PCR may offer complementary value when inhibitors are present or greater sensitivity is needed. LAMP and other isothermal techniques show promise for less expensive, distributed analysis but may face standardization challenges.
Public-health relevance
Ability to detect schistosome infections in snails or water is essential for control and elimination programs to succeed. Field testing, standardization, sequence verification, and improvements in target selection are needed for long-term programmatic success.
Important limitations
No single ideal diagnostic approach has been developed. The review notes that any diagnostic techniques used require regular verification through DNA sequencing to confirm species identity, and further improvements may be necessary to identify optimal target sequences for amplification. This summary is limited to the supplied abstract and metadata; the original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation of GRADE assessments, technique-specific performance metrics, and detailed advantages and disadvantages.
GIDS interpretation
This systematic review addresses diagnostic capacity for detecting schistosome infections in environmental samples. The classifier links indicate relevance to schistosomiasis surveillance under climate and environment, diagnostics, and transmission dynamics topics, making it discoverable for programs monitoring transmission risk at water contact sites.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 8 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.