| Summary: | Thorough knowledge of the dynamics of <i>Bulinus</i> spp. infestation could help to control the spread of schistosomiasis. This study describes the spatio-temporal dynamics of <i>B. senegalensis</i> and <i>B. umbilicatus</i> infestation by the <i>Schistosoma haematobium</i> group of blood flukes in Niakhar, Senegal. Molecular identification of the <i>S. haematobium</i> group was performed by real-time PCR, targeting the Dra 1 gene in 810 samples of <i>Bulinus</i> spp. collected during the schistosomiasis transmission season in 2013. In addition to Dra 1 PCR, a rapid diagnostic-PCR was performed on a sub-group of 43 snails to discriminate <i>S. haematobium</i>, <i>S. bovis</i>, and <i>S. mattheei.</i> Out of 810 snails, 236 (29.1%) were positive for Dra 1 based on the PCR, including 96.2% and 3.8% of <i>B. senegalensis</i> and <i>B. umbilicatus,</i> respectively. Among the sub-group, 16 samples were confirmed to be <i>S. haematobium</i> while one was identified as a mixture of <i>S. haematobium</i> and <i>S. bovis</i>. Snails infestations were detected in all villages sampled and infestation rates ranged from 15.38% to 42.11%. The prevalence of infestation was higher in the north (33.47%) compared to the south (25.74%). Snail populations infestations appear early in the rainy season, with a peak in the middle of the season, and then a decline towards the end of the rainy season. Molecular techniques showed, for the first time, the presence of <i>S. bovis</i> in the <i>Bulinus</i> spp. population of Niakhar. The heterogeneity of snail infestations at the village level must be taken into account in mass treatment strategies. Further studies should help to improve the characterizations of the schistosome population.
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