Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Status of Research Christoph Hörweg 1, Herbert Auer 2 & Helmut Sattmann 3 1 Institute of Zoology, Department of Systematic Zoology, University of Vienna, Austria 2 Department of Medical Parasitology, Clinical Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, University of Vienna 3 Department of Invertebrates, Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria First Record Gernot Graefe (1971): „Experimenteller Nachweis einer von Cercarien verur-sachten Dermatitis am Neusiedlersee.“ (Sitzungsber. d. Österr. Akad. d. Wissenschaften, Mathemat.-naturw. Kl., Abt. 1, 179: 73-79) Trichobilharzia szidati

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Geographical Distribution Vorarlberg:  no data Tyrol:  Natterersee (1992): CD, Furcocercariae Salzburg:  Wallersee, Wolfgangsee (1994): CD  Badesee Gastein (2002): CD  Wallersee (2002): Trichobilharzia sp. (Stagnicola fuscus) V T S T

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Geographical Distribution Upper Austria:  Attersee (1992): CD  Some lakes around Linz (2002): CD Carinthia:  Wörthersee, Weißensee, etc. (1950 – 90): CD  Herzogstuhl (2002): ocellate Furcocercariae (Gyraulus parvus) Styria:  Some lakes around Graz (1994): CD, Trichobilharzia ocellata (Radix auricularia)  Weihermühle (2002): CD, Furcocercariae UA C St

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Geographical Distribution Burgenland:  Neusiedlersee ( ): CD, T. szidati (L. stagnalis), Bilharziella polonica (Planorbarius corneus)  Neusiedlersee (1998): B. polonica (P. corneus) Vienna:  Lobau (1983): CD, T. ocellata (L. stagnalis)  Lobau (1993, 1994): CD, Furcocercariae  Ölhafen (1997): T. ocellata (L. stagnalis, R. ovata)  Alte Donau (2001, 2002): CD  Neue Donau (2003): CD B V

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Geographical Distribution Lower Austria: Fischamend/Donau (1971): CD, T. szidati (L. stagnalis) Sitzenberg (1973): CD, T. szidati (L. stagnalis, R. auricularia) St. Veit a.d. Gölsen (1983): CD Stopfenreuther Au (1994): CD Wienerwald/Rekawinkel (1998): T. szidati (L. stagnalis) Schönau/Donau (1998): Trichobilharzia sp. (R. peregra) Mannswörth (2002): T. sp. (Stagnicola fuscus) Achau (2002): CD Fischamend/Donau (2002): T. sp. (Aplexa hypnorum) LA

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Summary - Status 2003 Causative agents: Bilharziella polonica Trichobilharzia szidati Trichobilharzia ocellata (?) Trichobilharzia sp. (?) Intermediate Hosts: Lymnaea stagnalis Radix auricularia R. ovata Stagnicola fuscus Planorbarius corneus Gyraulus parvus Aplexa hypnorum Final hosts: ?

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Alte Donau / Vienna 2002 Date: , Time: 2 p.m., Weather: hot & sunny 32°C 27°C

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Alte Donau / Vienna 2002 Number of snails: 86 (from 6 collection sites) 6 Radix sp., 36 Planorbis planorbis 23 Bithynia tentaculata, 20 Physa acuta => no cercariae found with “cercarial release experiments” Conclusion: more local/specific collections (dependent on occurrence of cercarial dermatitis) needed Sample size should be extended

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Achau / Lower Austria 2002 Date: Time: 2 p.m. Weather: sunny + windy 25°C 27°C

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Achau / Lower Austria 2002

Number of snails: 4 (collected one week before) 4 Radix ovata => only echinostome cercariae found => but massive CD Conclusion: Snail population maybe broken down after continuous heat (many empty shells) or snails in mud in deeper regions (2,5 – 3 metres)

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Wöllersdorf / Lower Austria 2003 Date: Time: 2.30 p.m. Weather: hot & sunny 34°C 24°C

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Wöllersdorf / Lower Austria 2003 Number of snails: 83 (collected the last days) 63 Planorbarius corneus 5 Lymnaea stagnalis, 3 Stagnicola sp., 1 Radix sp. => no cercariae found with “cercarial release experiments” Conclusion: Sample size should be extended, most likely some more snails are within the many water plants

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Molecularbiology – Preliminary results A specific PCR for the amplification of the ITS regions and 5.8S rRNA gene from cercariae and sporocysts in the digestive glands of snails has been established. High sequence similarities of isolates within each host species and significant dissimilarities between isolates of different host species could be determined.

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Project applied - Objectives SYSTEMATICS & TAXONOMY To install a method for the differentation of intermediate trematode stages and host snail taxa To create an inventory of the species spectrum of the schistosomes which cause cercarial dermatitis and of the intermediate host snails To record snail host specificity and the host spectrum of schistosomes

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Project applied - Objectives EPIDEMIOLOGY & ECOLOGY To study the epidemiology and community structure of trematodes in selected snail species To record the population dynamics of snails and the development of schistosomes within snails To find correlations between population dynamics and diversity of hosts and parasites

Cercarial Dermatitis in Austria Project applied - Objectives ECONOMY & MEDICINE To ensure the proper diagnosis of cercarial dermatitis To generate guidelines for a risk evaluation and to develop an early warning system To propose a catalogue of measures to minimise the risk of cercarial dermatitis

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