Bithynia
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Bithynia is a prosobranch gastropod mollusk with a tower-shaped shell. In the USSR, two species were found: Bithynia tentaculata, widely distributed in water bodies, and Bithynia leachi, primarily found in puddles. A third species, Bithynia striatula var. japonica, found in freshwater basins of eastern Asia, has epidemiological significance as the first intermediate host of the human liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
BITHYNIA, a prosobranch gastropod mollusk. The shell is tower-shaped, 10-16 mm in height, and its opening is closed by a calcareous operculum. In the USSR, there are two species of bithynia: Bithynia tentaculata L. and Bithynia leachi Shepp. The first species is widely distributed in water bodies (rivers, lakes, ponds); the second species primarily inhabits puddles. A third species, B. striatula var. japonica Pilsb., found in the freshwater basins of eastern Asia, has epidemiological significance as the first intermediate host of the human liver fluke—Clonorchis sinensis.
Related articles
Cite this page
“Bithynia.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/bithynia/