Snail juvenile growth rate as a rapid predictor of the transmission potential of parasitizing human schistosomes.

Host and parasite traits that are sensitive to environmental perturbations merit special attention in the mitigation of diseases. While life table experiments allow a practical evaluation of variability of these traits with environmental change, they are cost and resource intensive. Here, we use a model snail host-trematode parasite system to test the efficacy of an expeditious alternative. Rapidly changing host traits (such as juvenile growth rate) can be used as effective predictors of parasite transmission potential across a range of environmental factors. This approach can be applied to anticipate epidemiological changes under diverse environmental scenarios. [Display omitted] • There is a critical need to predict how host and parasite traits respond to environmental change. • Rapidly changing host traits can predict environmental impacts on vital host and parasite traits in a model disease system. • Our rapid assay can enable assessment of environmental changes in local transmission sites in as little as one week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]