Fasciola gigantica: the growth and larval productivity of redial generations in the snail Lymnaea truncatula

Abstract.

Bimiracidial infections of French Lymnaea truncatula with a Madagascan isolate of Fasciola gigantica were carried out under laboratory conditions to study the growth of rediae and their larval productivity in relation to the different redial generations. The total numbers of rediae and their mean lengths significantly increased with the duration of infection until day 49 post-exposure (p.e.). Significant differences in the lengths between the different redial generations were noted. At day 49 p.e. (at 20 °C), the cercariae were produced by the first redial generation, while the productivity of other redial groups was delayed. This last finding shows a slow larval development of this Madagascan isolate of F. gigantica in this French population of L. truncatula.