Sky Journal of Biochemistry Research Vol. 5(6), pp. 075 – 082, December, 2016 Available online http://www.skyjournals.org/SJBR ISSN 2315-8786 ©2016 Sky Journals Full Length Research Paper Ecology of human schistosomiasis intermediate host and plant molluscicides used for control: A review Sylvester Chibueze Izah * and Tariwari C.N. Angaye Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Accepted 7 October, 2016 Schistosomiasis is a vector-borne disease, caused by parasites of the genus Schistosoma. The disease is endemic in several countries in the world including Nigeria. The parasite that causes schistosomiasis requires the intermediate host (snails), humans, slow flowing or stagnant water to cause infection. The snails that transmit human schistosomiasis are of the genus Bulinus (which causes urinary schistosomiasis and are transmitted by Schistosoma haematobium) and Biomphalaria (which transmit intestinal schistosomiasis and can be transmitted by Schistosoma mansoni). These snails could be controlled by studying their ecology. Elimination of these snails is one suitable approach through which the parasite can be controlled. Besides environmental manipulation and application of synthetic molluscicides, the use of plant based molluscicides can be effective method for the control of the snails. Some plant with base molluscicides includes Azadirachta indica, Jatropha Curcas, Jatropha glauca, Zanha goluogensis, Talinium trangulare, Tetrapleura tetraptera, Terminalia catappa, Carica papaya, Rhizophora mangle, R. racemosa, Avicennia germinans and Languncularia racemosa. The ecotoxicological potential of plant-derived molluscicides needs to be unraveled, prior to their field application. Hence research should be focused on potential toxicity on other aquatic organisms to determine at what concentration the extract could be toxic to non-targeted species that co-habit with intermediate host (snails). Key words: Environment, parasites, plant molluscicides, schistosomiasis snails. INTRODUCTION Schistosomiasis which is also referred to as bilharziasis or snail fever is major tropical parasitic disease caused by blood fluke known as Schistosoma (Alhassan, 2013; Alhassan et al., 2013, Nafiu et al., 2016; Dawaki et al., 2015; Mbata et al., 2008; WHO, 2014; Ugochukwu et al., 2013; Ahmad et al., 2014), especially in West Africa were its endemic in many countries (Mbata et al., 2008) . Schistosomiasis is often regarded as one of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases considered to be public health problem in several developing nations in both tropics and subtropics (Dawaki et al., 2015) . Akande and Odetola (2013) listed with tropical neglected diseases to include schistosomiasis, ascariasis, buruli ulcer, *Corresponding author: E-mail: chivestizah@gmail.com. Tel: +234 703 0192 466. chagas disease, and cysticercosis, food borne trematodiases, hookworm disease, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, trichuriasis, leishmaniasis, guinea worm, trypanosomiasis and oncocerciasis. Of these, Schistosomiasis is ranked second among wide spread parasitic diseases in different countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Adenowoa et al., 2015). Tropical diseases cause approximately 534,000 deaths per annum in sub-Saharan Africa and an estimated 57 million disability-adjusted life-years are lost per annum due to the neglected tropical diseases (Adenowoa et al., 2015). Typically, Schistosomiasis is a global menace to human health. Useh (2013) reported that approximately 240 million and 779 million people are infected and at risk of schistosomiasis globally respectively. Hamed (2010) also reported that about 200 million individuals are affected in 74 countries. While about 120 million