Trematode infections alter the microbiota signature of parasite vector Galba truncatula

Liver and rumen flukes, Fasciola hepatica and Calicophoron daubneyi, respectively, are endemic in livestock across the UK. The efficacy of triclabendazole has stimulated its overuse for liver fluke control, thus resulting in growing widespread anthelmintic resistance. Oxyclozanide is the primary drug used to treat rumen fluke infections however, these infections are only fatal with high worm burdens. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new control strategies for fasciolosis, and , through a better understanding of the the fundamental biology represents a key step towards this goal of host-parasite interactions.The microbiome of the host is known to play key roles in several aspects of health and disease, including susceptibility to parasite infections. While most microbiome studies of trematode diseases have mainly focused on the mammalian host, studies of the mollusc intermediate host microbiota are scarse. Furthermore, the intermediate host should also be considered because of their essential role in worm transmission. The interaction between the snail microbiota and intra-snail developmental stages of trematodes has yet to be explored. Here, we collected snails from sheep farms in Northern Ireland and used qPCR to diagnose trematode infection. We aim to profile the microbiota of these snails with and without trematode infection and compare their internal microbiome to the environment. In the future, studies on the functional roles that these bacteria play in host-parasite relationships could be used to inform control measures.