Bulinus


Bulinus

(bū-lī'nŭs), A genus and subgenus of freshwater snails in the family Planorbidae (subfamily Bulininae), which includes many species that are intermediate hosts of the human blood fluke, Schistosoma haematobium, in Africa and the Middle East; divided into two subgenera, Physopsis and Bulinus, the former being responsible for transmission of S. haematobium south of the Sahara, the latter responsible for transmission of this bladder blood fluke in north Africa and the Middle East. Important species include Bulinus truncatus and Bulinus forskalii, hosts for human and animal schistosomes and several domestic animal amphistome flukes.