Temperature and light effects on Trichobilharzia szidati cercariae with implications for a risk analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cercarial dermatitis (swimmer's itch) caused by bird schistosome cercariae, released from intermediate host snails, is a common disorder also at higher latitudes. Several cases were observed in the artificial Danish freshwater Ringen Lake frequently used by the public for recreational purposes. The lake may serve as a model system when establishing a risk analysis for this zoonotic disease. In order to explain high risk periods we determined infection levels of intermediate host snails from early spring to late summer (March, June and August) and elucidated the effect of temperature and light on parasite shedding, behavior and life span.

Results

Field studies revealed no shedding snails in March and June but in late summer the prevalence of Trichobilharzia szidati

SUBMITTER: Al-Jubury A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7493345 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature