Isolation and Identification of Some Pathogens of Terrestrial Snail Rumina decollata from Erbil Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24086/cuesj.v10n1y2026.pp49-55Keywords:
Land snails, Rumina decollate, bacteria, larval trematodes, IraqAbstract
Terrestrial snails are known to act as intermediate hosts for parasites and carriers of various bacteria. The present study aimed to isolate and identify some bacteria and larval trematodes from the terrestrial snail Rumina decollata (Linnaeus, 1758) collected from different locations in Erbil Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Snail specimens were processed using standard laboratory techniques for bacteriological culture and parasitological examination. Several bacterial isolates were identified based on morphological and biochemical characteristics, including (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter koseri [Citrobacter diversus], Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Citrobacter freundii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas mendocina, Pantoea agglomerans [Enterobacter agglomerans], Acinetobacter calcoaceticus). In addition, larval trematodes of Lutztrema attenuatum were detected in a proportion of the examined snails. The results indicated that R. decollata harbors different bacterial species and larval trematodes, as the first investigation in Iraq. The presence of these organisms indicates that R. decollata may play a role in the transmission of bacterial and parasitic infections, which may pose risks to public and animal health, and contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiological significance of terrestrial snails in the region.
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