Description
Snail-borne parasitic diseases pose significant public health and veterinary challenges in many tropical and subtropical regions. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), schistosomiasis and fascioliasis are the most prevalent representatives, and are caused by parasitic flatworms of the genera Schistosoma and Fasciola respectively. In SSA, freshwater snails of the genera Biomphalaria and Bulinus act as intermediate hosts for schistosome parasites, while Radix natalensis is the primary vector of fascioliasis (via transmitting Fasciola gigantica). Biomphalaria spp. transmit Schistosoma mansoni, whereas Bulinus spp. transmit both Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma intercalatum.
The ATRAP dataset contains occurrence records of Biomphalaria, Bulinus, and Radix in the Lake Albert region of western Uganda and the Kimpese region of western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between March 2020 and February 2023. The records were collected by a trained citizen science network in both communities, which monitored snail populations weekly at fixed water body sites. For each sampling, the records were uploaded to a KoboToolbox server. Each record present in the database was validated by experts based on attached field photographs submitted by a citizen scientist. The taxonomic identification was done to the genus level, due to the morphological plasticity that exists among species within each genus.
Data Records
The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 28,977 records.
This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.
Versions
The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.
How to cite
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Valderrama Bhraunxs N, Bonifacio L, Huyse T (2025). The ATRAP project: citizens scientists reporting snail intermediate host occurrence in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Version 1.2. Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium. Occurrence dataset. https://biocase.africamuseum.be/ipt_rmca/resource?r=atrap_snail_hosts&v=1.2
Rights
Researchers should respect the following rights statement:
The publisher and rights holder of this work is Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium. To the extent possible under law, the publisher has waived all rights to these data and has dedicated them to the Public Domain (CC0 1.0). Users may copy, modify, distribute and use the work, including for commercial purposes, without restriction.
GBIF Registration
This resource has not been registered with GBIF
Keywords
Occurrence; Observation; snail; fascioliasis; Biomphalaria; Bulinus; Radix; citizen science; schistosomiasis
Contacts
- Metadata Provider ●
- Originator ●
- Point Of Contact
- Researcher
- Leuvensesteenweg 13
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1804-6715
- Metadata Provider ●
- Originator ●
- Point Of Contact
- Researcher
- Leuvensesteenweg 13
- Point Of Contact
- Principal Investigator
- Leuvensesteenweg 13
- 32 2 769 5372
- Point Of Contact
- Programmer
- Leuvensesteenweg 13
- Point Of Contact
- Programmer
- Leuvensesteenweg 13
- Point Of Contact
- Senior researcher
- Leuvensesteenweg 13
- 32 2 769 5372
Geographic Coverage
The study area in Uganda is bounded by latitudes 0.90918882 to 1.11597173 and longitudes 30.51644939 to 30.83790609. The study area in the DRC is bounded by latitudes -5.723556 to -5.332967 and longitudes 14.23025 to 14.65933.
| Bounding Coordinates | South West [-5.724, 14.2], North East [1.116, 30.52] |
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Taxonomic Coverage
The dataset comprises freshwater snails (Gastropoda: Hygrophila) which were identified to the genus level.
| Genus | Biomphalaria, Bulinus, Radix |
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Temporal Coverage
| Start Date / End Date | 2020-03-01 / 2023-02-28 |
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Project Data
The ATRAP project was established to address the lack of fine-scale data in regions with a high prevalence of schistosomiasis, specifically in rural areas of Uganda and the DRC. This citizen science-based project aimed to monitor snail populations and generate distribution data to guide future targeted control interventions. Studies have shown that citizen science (CS) projects with structured data collection protocols can enhance the scope of monitoring, produce high-quality actionable data, and increase local community engagement. To achieve this, ATRAP recruited and trained 25 citizen scientists in each of the two countries, Uganda and the DRC, to monitor snail intermediate host populations weekly between 2020 and 2023. This project was a collaboration between ATRAP, Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda, and the University of Kinshasa in the DRC.
| Title | Action Towards Reducing Aquatic snail-borne Parasitic diseases (ATRAP) |
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| Funding | This research was financed by the Action Towards Reducing Aquatic snail-borne Parasitic diseases (ATRAP) project of the Development Cooperation program of the Royal Museum for Central Africa with the support of the Belgian Directorate General Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. Noelia Valderrama-Bhraunxs is a fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (Fellowships 11L3223N, 11L3225N). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or manuscript preparation. |
| Study Area Description | Data collection for the Ugandan citizen science network took place in the Lake Albert region, an area characterized by significant altitudinal variation, ranging from 620 meters in the lowlands to 1400 meters in the upland areas shaped by the Great Rift Valley. The lower-lying regions near the lake are remote and difficult to reach by road, presenting logistical challenges for fieldwork. The sampling sites captured a variety of hydrological conditions and were classified into four main types: springs, streams, wetlands, and lake shores. In the DRC, the citizen science network operated in the Kimpese region of Kongo Central province. In contrast to the varied topography of the Ugandan study area, this region is relatively homogeneous, characterized by plateaus and rolling hills at elevations ranging from approximately 250 to 400 meters. The Lukunga River and its tributaries form an extensive hydrological network, serving as essential water sources for irrigation during the rainy season. Most of the sampling locations corresponded to streams derived from the Lukunga River. |
| Design Description | In both study areas, sampling locations were identified through a preliminary survey, prioritizing sites where community members frequently engaged in water-related activities such as swimming, washing, water collection, and open defecation/urination, practices that increase the risk of snail-borne disease transmission. The study included locations where intermediate host snails were present, as areas where they were absent during initial field assessments. Citizen scientists conducted standardized snail sampling and submitted reports through KoboCollect documenting freshwater snails that serve as intermediate hosts for Schistosoma and Fasciola parasites. Each survey lasted approximately 30 minutes, during which the citizen scientists used a hand-held scoop net with a two-meter metallic handle, while wearing protective gear. Snails were identified and sorted based on morphological characteristics learned during training, with counts and photographs recorded for each specimen. Snails were categorized into the genera Biomphalaria, Bulinus, and Radix, and a ‘pool’ category was used for all other species. All findings were uploaded to a central server for researcher access and verification. |
The personnel involved in the project:
Sampling Methods
Citizen scientists conducted standardized snail sampling at fixed water body sites, approximately once every week. In Uganda, where site types were more heterogeneous, a 10-meter radius sampling protocol was recommended at each site. In the DRC, citizen scientists collected snails 5 meters upstream and downstream of the contact point. For streams less than 3 meters wide and 50 cm deep, sampling was conducted on both sides of the stream. During sampling, citizen scientists were equipped with protective gear (latex gloves and gumboots), a hand-held scoop net with a two-meter metallic handle, and a provided smartphone for documenting the sampling event and their observations. Each sampling lasted approximately 30 minutes. After sampling, snails were identified and sorted based on morphological characteristics learned during training. They were categorized into the genera Biomphalaria, Bulinus, and Radix, and a ‘pool’ category was used for all other taxa. Counts and photographs were recorded for each specimen. Citizen scientists submitted reports through KoboCollect, containing their observations of freshwater snails as well as the date, time, GPS location, and duration of sampling. All findings were uploaded to a central server for researcher access and verification.
| Study Extent | In Uganda, the study area was located around the area of Lake Albert, geographically bounded by latitudes 0.90918882 to 1.11597173 and longitudes 30.51644939 to 30.83790609. In the DRC, the study area was located within the Kimpese region in the Kongo Central, geographically bounded by latitudes -5.723556 to -5.332967 and longitudes 14.23025 to 14.65933. The temporal coverage of the dataset is from 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2023. Water body sites within these two study areas were sampled for freshwater snails on an approximately weekly basis, depending on the initiative of the citizen scientists. |
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| Quality Control | The ATRAP network is formed by several experts, including malacologists and biologists with training in freshwater snail identification. For each record, one expert reviewed the attached field photographs to verify genus identification and flag possible misidentifications. A semi-automatic validation protocol was also used to detect reporting issues for each record, such as invalid dates or low GPS accuracy (more than 5m). The validated reports were saved to a CSV file for subsequent data processing. Additionally, CSs received continuous feedback and took part in annual refresher training sessions to improve the accuracy of their data. |
Method step description:
- A citizen scientist, identified in the dataset by a unique code, travels to their designated water site/s with their sampling equipment: a hand-held scoop net, protective gear (latex gloves and gumboots), and smartphone. The citizen scientist records the date, time, GPS location, and other environment-related variables in the KoboCollect app on their smartphone.
- The citizen scientist conducts sampling, scooping in the water for approximately 30 minutes in a 10-meter radius (for Uganda) or 5 meters upstream and 5 meters downstream (for the DRC) from the fixed water site. The start time and end time of sampling are recorded.
- Following sampling, the citizen scientist identifies and separates Biomphalaria, Bulinus, and Radix (if present) from collected freshwater snails. For each taxon of interest present, the citizen scientist provides a count and attaches a photograph of all snails found to the sampling report. The report is uploaded to the ATRAP KoboToolbox server.
- Each photograph attached to the report is evaluated by an ATRAP expert to verify the accuracy of the taxon reported by the citizen scientists. Possible misidentifications (including taxonomic uncertainty from e.g. poor image quality) are flagged. Biomphalaria, Bulinus, and Radix reports are independently verified to ensure that errors in one genus do not affect the validity of other records. A semi-automatic validation protocol also flags potential metadata issues for each report, such as invalid dates or low GPS accuracy (more than 5 m).
- Validated reports are saved to a CSV file for further data processing.
Additional Metadata
| Acknowledgements | We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Julius Tumusiime, Germain Kapour, and Daisy Namirembe for their efforts in surveillance and coordination of the citizen science network. In Uganda, Casim Umba-Tolo provided coordination, supervision, project administration, and funding acquisition, while Grace Kagoro-Rugunda contributed through supervision and project administration. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Patrick Mitashi-Mulopo supported the project through project administration, supervision, and funding acquisition, and Joule Mandinga played a central role in coordination, supervision, project administration, and funding acquisition. Liesbet Jacobs supported the project’s conceptualization and contributed through supervision, validation, and funding acquisition. We sincerely thank the citizen scientists whose enthusiasm, local knowledge, and dedication were instrumental to the success of this study. We also extend our appreciation to Franck Theeten and Larissa Smirnova for their invaluable assistance in making the data available through the Integrated Publishing Toolkit of the Royal Museum for Central Africa. |
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| Alternative Identifiers | https://biocase.africamuseum.be/ipt_rmca/resource?r=atrap_snail_hosts |