A thorough knowledge of the geographic distribution of Schistosoma mansoni vector snails is indispensable for the control of Schistosoma mansoni schistosomiasis and its epidemiologic surveillance. From the water masses of the State of São Paulo (Brazil) 8,771 lots of snails a total of 108,244 individuals of the genus Biomphalaria were captured between 1982 and 2002. These specimens are now part of the malacological collection of (Superintendência de Controle de Endemias São Paulo). According to species: Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818), 225 lots (6%) 8,002 (7.4%); specimens Biomphalaria tenagophila (d'Orbigny, 1835), 3,402 lots (91.7%) 88,068 (81.4%) specimens and Biomphalaria straminea (Dunker, 1848), 85 lots (2.3%) 12,174 (11.2%) specimens. The geographic distribution of B. tenagophila and B. glabrata breeding sites tends to be compact and their occupation of territory is clear-cut. B. tenagophila habitats characteristically show a tendency to cluster around municipalities with high levels of urbanization and organic pollution. The presence of B. straminea is isolated in all hydrographic basins. This situation suggests that the persistence of schistosomiasis endemic areas in the State of São Paulo depends on the chance of host-parasite contacts resulting from the concentration of B. tenagophila and B. glabrata breeding sites.
Biomphalaria glabrata; B. tenagophila; B. straminea; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Epidemiology
