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A malacological survey to detect foci of transmission of schistosomiasis and other parasitic diseases was undertaken into water-courses from 13 municipalities of microregion of Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. From 1990 to 1996, 22,066 snails were collected. From those, 378 (1.7%) were found infected by trematodes: Biomphalaria glabrata (7,920), infected by Schistosoma mansoni (1.9%), Echinostomatidae (1.2%), Strigeidae (0.6%), Cercaria minense (0.1%) and Derogenidae (-0.1%); B. straminea (4,093) infected by Strigeidae (0.6%), Echinostomatidae (0.2%), Clinostomatidae (-0.1%) and two unidentified cercariae; B. tenagophila (1,338), infected by Strigeidae (0.1%) and Physa marmorata (1,776) by Echinostomatidae (1.6%). The snails Biomphalaria peregrina, B. occidentalis, B. schrammi, Drepanotrema depressissimum, D. lucidum, D. cimex, Physa cubensis, Lymnaea columella, Melania tuberculata, Idiopyrgus souleyetianus, Pomacea sp, Anodontites sp and Ancylidae were found noninfected. Snails from 9 municipalities were infected by S. mansoni and from 11 by other trematodes.

In Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the snail Biomphalaria straminea was found in the Pampulha region. Recently the snail was found in ditches in the old Santa Lúcia Reservoir, a now-extinct focus of schistosomiasis transmission by B. glabrata. The snails were collected and examined to verify whether they were naturally infected with Schistosoma mansoni. Negative specimens were used for breeding or infection with the LE strain of S. mansoni from the laboratory and another strain obtained from eggs found in the feces of a schoolchild (VGS) from Belo Horizonte. Among the 1890 snails collected from 1994 to 1995, none were infected with S. mansoni. Among 87 snails collected and exposed to the LE strain, 9 (10.3%) shed cercariae; among 83 snails from F1, and exposed to LE, 10 (12.0%) shed cercariae. Among 88 snails exposed to VGS, 10 (11.3%) shed cercariae. In Belo Horizonte, schistosomiasis is transmitted by B. glabrata and B. tenagophila. However, currently there exists the risk of appearance of a focus in which B. straminea could be the host if prophylactic measures are not taken by the authorities responsible for the construction of a park and lake at that site.

The levels of infectivity of Schistosoma mansoni for the three species of Biomphalaria, intermediate hosts of parasite in Brazil were studied after exposing of molluscs to miracidia in the laboratory and in the field. The LE and SJ strains of S. mansoni, maintained in laboratory were used in these experiments as well as the WVS and RFS strains obtained from faeces of schoolchildren from Belo Horizonte, MG. The results show the high level of infectivity of S. mansoni for B. glabrata with infection rates varying from 4.7 to 85.5%. The snail B. straminea was susceptible to LE, SJ and WVS strains, with infection rates of 11.0 to 24.6%, B. tenagophila was susceptible only to LE and SJ strains with infection rates of 2.5 to 6.5%. The mean number of cercariae of the WVS strain shed per day, by B. straminea and B. glabrata were 93 +/- 59 and 782 +/- 1,120, respectively.

Bioassays using hexanolic extracts of cashew nut shells, of Anacardium occidentale, collected in Ceará in 1972 (Sample 1) and 1987 (Sample 2) were undertaken with adult snails and egg masses of Biomphalaria glabrata, B. tenagophila and B. straminea both in the laboratory and in the field. Non extracted shells, 18.5 g, sample 1, were also tested with adult snails and egg masses of the three species. The toxicity of extract was tested with fish (Poecilia reticulata) and tadpoles. The lethal concentration, CL90, of sample 1 was from 2.0 to 2.2 ppm for adult snails of the three species. With sample 2, the CL90 was 2.0, 0.5 and 30.0 ppm for B. glabrata adults, newly hatched snails and egg mass respectively. Non extracted shells caused 40-80% mortality of adult snails, 22-35% mortality of embryos and 40-55% reduction of egg production. The hexanolic extract, sample 2, were innocuous for tadpole and fish at 2 ppm. In the field, in pools of still water treatment with 20 ppm of extract, sample 1, caused a 97.1% mortality of B. straminea and 100% mortality of B. glabrata and B. tenagophila. Using Niclosamide, at 3 ppm, 100% mortality of the three species occurred.

Specimens of Sarasinula marginata were collected in kitchen and house gardens of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. The susceptibility of these molluscs for Angiostrongylus costaricensis was tested by infecting 15 laboratory--reared slugs (F1). The positivity demonstrated was of 80.0%.