Paenibacillus, a novel pathogen of Biomphalaria glabrata, an intermediate host for schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is the second most widespread tropical parasitic disease after malaria. To achieve the objective of schistosomiasis eradication in a decade, various research strategies and treatment programs were recommended and supported by WHO. One of these applicable approaches is based on the control of snail vectors in endemic area. Previous field studies have shown that competitor or predator introduction could be effective but no systemic investigation has ever been conducted to identify snail microbial pathogen and evaluate its molluscicide effect. In this work, our aim is to provide a characterization of a novel infectious agent isolated from unhealthy Biomphalaria snails in our laboratory.