Culture of fecal indicator bacteria from snail intestinal tubes as a tool for assessing the risk of Opisthorchis viverrini infection in Bithynia snail habitat.

Fecal indicator bacteria can be detected in the intestinal tubes of Bithynia snails. The presence of fecal indicator bacteria in Bithynia snail guts may indicate risk of O. viverrini infection in snail populations. This method has the potential to aid in identifying locations and time windows of peak snail infection risk and may be applicable to other trematodes of human-health significance.