Traps for schistosome miracidia/cercariae

Miracidia are attracted specifically toward their respective host-snail species by macromolecular glycoconjugates at concentrations as low as 1 mg in 10 000 liters of water (0.1 ppb). It seems worth to analyze the signaling carbohydrate code for use in miracidia traps or for blocking or saturating miracidial chemoreceptors. Schistosome cercariae could be trapped with slides covered with linoleate. Fatty acids (FA) with defined chemical characteristics stimulate cercarial penetration behavior and transformation of the tegument (for immune evasion) which makes the larvae osmotically vulnerable. FA eliminate the infectivity of schistosome cercariae and a slow release of suitable FA in waters might interrupt cercarial transmission