Post by snerdahmik on Nov 11, 2019 16:51:29 GMT
I've read in another thread that you can't really tell if your snail is infected by a parasitic worm unless it passes one. I'll add more links with information regarding parasites later on.
- petsnails.proboards.com/thread/4357/pumpkin-seeds-help-worms
You likely won't be able to see adult parasites, as they don't fully mature until they reach their 3rd host. Using a microscope, you can see the larvae in the feces. (if there are any.) What do you suppose the risk is to find a snail ridden with rat lungworm? In america, I'd suppose it's relatively low, but there's always a risk when you handle terrestrial snails. I've read some articles that suggest you may be infected by rat lungworm through its' slime. Most websites that provide information about specific species suggest always wearing gloves when handling snails due to risk of rat lungworm infections specifically. However, there isn't a great amount of evidence supporting the idea that you can contract the parasite via skin-to-skin contact. There are many different types of parasites that use snails as an intermediate host. I suppose it wouldn't be harmful to find / handle one, as long as you don't get their slime in any wounds or accidentally ingest it.
As snails are the intermediate hosts, do you suppose that after a long period of time the parasite would die off? They breed in the lungs of rats, inside snails they pretty much just wait to be eaten. There's probably been a couple times where I forgot to wash my hands after handling my snails, and I don't have the parasite. I emailed a government organization that provides information on infectious parasites, and they weren't able to give me an answer. I don't think that the parasite can be transmitted from snail to snail, because the snail would need to be eaten. The parasite can't be passed down to offspring because parasites usually eat the host's sex organs. So unless you eat the snail, it's unlikely you'd contract it. It's an interesting topic to discuss. What do you think?
- petsnails.proboards.com/thread/4357/pumpkin-seeds-help-worms
You likely won't be able to see adult parasites, as they don't fully mature until they reach their 3rd host. Using a microscope, you can see the larvae in the feces. (if there are any.) What do you suppose the risk is to find a snail ridden with rat lungworm? In america, I'd suppose it's relatively low, but there's always a risk when you handle terrestrial snails. I've read some articles that suggest you may be infected by rat lungworm through its' slime. Most websites that provide information about specific species suggest always wearing gloves when handling snails due to risk of rat lungworm infections specifically. However, there isn't a great amount of evidence supporting the idea that you can contract the parasite via skin-to-skin contact. There are many different types of parasites that use snails as an intermediate host. I suppose it wouldn't be harmful to find / handle one, as long as you don't get their slime in any wounds or accidentally ingest it.
As snails are the intermediate hosts, do you suppose that after a long period of time the parasite would die off? They breed in the lungs of rats, inside snails they pretty much just wait to be eaten. There's probably been a couple times where I forgot to wash my hands after handling my snails, and I don't have the parasite. I emailed a government organization that provides information on infectious parasites, and they weren't able to give me an answer. I don't think that the parasite can be transmitted from snail to snail, because the snail would need to be eaten. The parasite can't be passed down to offspring because parasites usually eat the host's sex organs. So unless you eat the snail, it's unlikely you'd contract it. It's an interesting topic to discuss. What do you think?
