Population studies on Oncomelania quadrasi, the snail intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum, in the Philippines. 5. Quantitative analysis on successful snail control by land reclamation.

For the control of Oncomelania quadrasi, environmental modifications, i.e., clearing of vegetation, leveling of swampy depression and draining of stagnant water by channeling and excavation were carried out at 3 areas in Leyte, Philippines from 1974 to 1977. The change of snail population resulted in the land reclamation was evaluated by the methods previously developed by the population studies on this snail. As a result of statistical analysis based on y = log(x + 0.01) transformation and the antilogarithmic mean density A-y = (antilog -y) -0.01, the reduction of snail population was observed at 13 out of 18 sites studied at 3 project areas and the significant reduction was statistically confirmed at 9 sites of them. Particularly at Dagami area, which was a wide and heavily snail-infested land adjacent to Dagami Poblacion, the reduction rate of snail density reached 87.7% to 99.2% and some wet depressions have been converted into good rice fields with little snail infestation at the last survey.