The main diseases caused by snails are schistosomiasis, commonly known as water or snail belly disease, fasciolosis and eosinophil meningitis, which can reach people through contact with snail secretions or by eating these raw or undercooked molluscs.
Snails are small molluscs that are easily found in plantations, gardens and even cities because they have no predators, reproduce quickly and feed on plants, and can even eat indoor paintings.
- In Brazil.
- Diseases caused by snails are rarely reported.
- But in other countries diseases are more common.
- The main difference is that usually the snails found here do not contain the parasites needed to transmit diseases and.
- Therefore.
- There is no reason to despair when finding a snail on the lettuce or strolling through the garden.
- Although it is recommended to remove it if its amount is increased.
For the snail to transmit the disease, it must be infected with parasites, which does not always happen. The main diseases that can cause snails are:
Schistosomiasis is commonly known as snail disease because the Schistosoma mansoni parasite requires the snail to develop part of its life cycle and, when it reaches the infectious form, is released into the water and infects people by penetration into the skin.causing redness and itching at the entrance site and subsequently muscle weakness and pain.
This disease is most common in tropical climate environments where there is no basic sanitation and a large number of snails of the genus Biomphalaria.Learn all about schistosomiasis.
Fasciolosa is an infectious disease caused by the parasite Fasciola hepatica that the snail needs to complete its life cycle, especially freshwater snails of the species Lymnaea columela and Lymnaea viatrix.
The eggs of these parasites are released into the faeces of the animals and the miracle, which corresponds to the prelarval stage of this parasite, is released from the egg and manages to reach the snails, infecting them.In snails, desarrollo.de the infectious form is produced, and then released into the environment.Therefore, when people come into contact with the snail or the medium in which it is located, it can become infected.Learn about the life cycle of Fasciola hepatica.
Eosinophil meningitis, also known as brain angiostrongillosis, is caused by the parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which can infect slugs and snails and infect people by ingesting these raw or undercooked animals or in contact with the mucus they release because this parasite is not well adapted.in the human body, it can pass into the nervous system, causing severe headaches and stiffness in the neck.
One of the main snails responsible for eosinophil meningitis is the giant African snail, whose scientific name is Achatina fulica.Learn more about eosinophil meningitis.
Like eosinophilic meningitis, abdominal angiostrongylosis is transmitted by the giant African snail infected with the Angiostrongylus costaricensis parasite, which upon entering the body of people can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, stomach pain. vomiting and fever, for example.
Infection with snail-induced diseases can occur when eating these raw or undercooked animals, eating food, or coming into direct contact with their secretions.In addition, in the case of schistosomiasis, it is not necessary to have direct contact with the snail or its secretions., simply being in an environment with contaminated water, because the snail releases the infectious form of the parasite into the water.
To avoid diseases caused by the snail, it is recommended not to eat its meat, do not touch it and wash very well all the food that may have come into contact with these animals or with their secretions, if you touch a snail or its secretions, it is recommended to wash the area well with soap and water.
In addition, the fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly with water, then soaked for 10 minutes, completely covered, in a mixture of 1 liter of water with 1 tablespoon of bleach.
It’s also important to avoid environments that contain snails and backyards and clean gardens that may be infested.When cleaning, it is recommended to avoid contact of hands with hands with gloves or a plastic box.It is also important to collect eggs that are usually half-buried.What is collected should be placed in a container and immersed in a solution with sodium hypochlorite for approximately 24 hours.You can then discard the solution and place the shells in a closed plastic bag and throw it away into the common trash.