Survival and infectivity characteristics are described for cercariae
of the echinostome Echinoparyphium recurvatum at 10,
15, 20, 25 and 30°C. Cercarial survival was markedly age- and temperature-dependent,
maximum survival time being
reduced from 68 h at 10°C to 12 h at 30°C, 50% survival times falling
from 47·9 h at 10°C to 8·4 h at 30°C. The mean
instantaneous per capita death rate of cercariae increased exponentially
with temperature. Cercarial infectivity was also
temperature dependent, the main effect of temperature being upon the rate
at which infectivity diminished with increasing
age of cercariae. Infectivity increased from zero at 10°C to a maximum
at 25°C after which it declined to a low level at
30°C. Overall transmission efficiency of cercariae at each experimental
temperature was calculated as the ratio of the mean
instantaneous per capita death rate (μ) to the mean instantaneous
per capita rate of infection (β). Transmission efficiency
of cercariae was found to be maximal at 20°C and at a relatively high
level between 10 and 25°C. Transmission efficiency
was zero at 10°C and at a very low level at 30°C. These results
suggest that the cercariae of E. recurvatum show
transmission optima at water temperatures likely to be encountered in natural
habitats in Britain and Europe.