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pinball1970
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- TL;DR Summary
- In this study, we document the first discovery of Heterobilharzia americana, a parasitic schistosome of mammals and its intermediate hosts Galba cubensis and Galba humilis along the banks of the Colorado River in California.
The paper https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/13/3/245
From the introduction.
"Heterobilharzia americana is a schistosome trematode endemic to the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic region of North America, infecting raccoons, marsh rabbits, dogs, horses, nutria, bobcats, mountain lions, opossums, and other mammals [12,13]. Nevertheless, there is a growing number of reports documenting the incidence of parasite infection across various new states, including Indiana [14], Tennessee [15], Oklahoma [13,16], Arkansas [13], Kansas [17], and, most recently, Utah [6]. The life cycle of H. americana is that of a typical digenic trematode within the family Schistosomatidae (Figure 1). Mammals that wade or swim in freshwater areas, such as marshes, mudflats, ponds, and canals, are exposed to H. americana [18]. "
From the discussion.
"In 2023, the Los Angeles County of Public Health issued an advisory confirming 11 cases of canine schistosomiasis in dogs from three Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside, between 2018 and 2023. The parasite had not previously been reported as endemic to Southern California. Travel history of the infected dogs indicated that before their diagnosis, all 11 dogs had been in the Colorado River."
There is a Human version of the disease also, mainly in Africa (85% of cases) but also in South America, Middle and far east https://www.who.int/health-topics/schistosomiasis#tab=tab_1
From the introduction.
"Heterobilharzia americana is a schistosome trematode endemic to the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic region of North America, infecting raccoons, marsh rabbits, dogs, horses, nutria, bobcats, mountain lions, opossums, and other mammals [12,13]. Nevertheless, there is a growing number of reports documenting the incidence of parasite infection across various new states, including Indiana [14], Tennessee [15], Oklahoma [13,16], Arkansas [13], Kansas [17], and, most recently, Utah [6]. The life cycle of H. americana is that of a typical digenic trematode within the family Schistosomatidae (Figure 1). Mammals that wade or swim in freshwater areas, such as marshes, mudflats, ponds, and canals, are exposed to H. americana [18]. "
From the discussion.
"In 2023, the Los Angeles County of Public Health issued an advisory confirming 11 cases of canine schistosomiasis in dogs from three Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside, between 2018 and 2023. The parasite had not previously been reported as endemic to Southern California. Travel history of the infected dogs indicated that before their diagnosis, all 11 dogs had been in the Colorado River."
There is a Human version of the disease also, mainly in Africa (85% of cases) but also in South America, Middle and far east https://www.who.int/health-topics/schistosomiasis#tab=tab_1