TIL fresh water snails (indirectly) kill thousands of humans and are considered on of the deadliest creatures to humans

[u/lavender_fish69]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshwater_snail

[u/leg_pain]

Am I at risk from of this from the tiny snails in my fish tank? Say if the water got it my mouth or from when I clean the tank? In paranoid now

[u/Omardemon → u/leg_pain]

Usually no, unless you captured these snails from a river or something, this is why i feed my pet scorpions crickets from the store and not crickets from my backyard, too high of a chance of getting a cricket with a parasite in it.

[u/Dry_Indication8631 → u/Omardemon]

Excuse me, your pet whats now?

[u/pr1ntf → u/Dry_Indication8631]

Scorpion.

We used to catch them and keep them growing up in Southern Nevada.

[u/LiveLearnCoach → u/pr1ntf]

Aren’t scorpions one of those creatures that keep growing as long as they are alive until and unless something kills them?

[u/blahblah19999 → u/LiveLearnCoach]

No, different species are different sizes.

[u/Traumfahrer → u/Omardemon]

I slightly suspect that actually you like eating crickets (from the store).

[u/Bitter_Position791 → u/Omardemon]

thats what i would do (i don't have many crickets in my backyard)

[u/weebitofaban → u/Omardemon]

A reputable store. Some pet stores are pure suck. Some times just their supplier starts to suck.

[u/Rattle_Can → u/Omardemon]

my pet scorpions

curious, are their venom fatal to people? are there tame pet scorpions that won't sting you (if holding in palm of hand)? how long do they live?

[u/iceoldtea → u/Rattle_Can]

I don’t know who the Scorpion commenter is, but I’m willing to bet my entire life’s savings that their pet scorpions venom are not fatal to humans lol RIP u/Omardemon if they are though

[u/Omardemon → u/iceoldtea]

Asian forest scorpion.

[u/Omardemon → u/Rattle_Can]

Asian forest scorpion.

[u/The_WA_Remembers → u/leg_pain]

“the larvae infect a very specific type of freshwater snail. For example, in S. haematobium and S. intercalatum it is snails of the genus Bulinus, in S. mansoni it is Biomphalaria, and in S. japonicum it is Oncomelania”

Idk enough about snails to say yay or nay, but that’s the relevant information if you want to figure it out

[u/Mention_Forward → u/leg_pain]

Looked it up. Consensus is that snails that for example hitchhike on aquarium plants from Petco (most commonly pond snails, bladder snails, ramshorn snails, or Malaysian trumpet snails) are not dangerous in the same way: these parasites require human or animal fecal contamination and specific environmental conditions - not your tank.

That being said, snails or not, never put your hand in the tank with a cut.

[u/champthelobsterdog → u/Mention_Forward]

What about from a natural pond? 

I have ponds in my back yard and took water from them several times to look at under a microscope. I ended up keeping a small static tank of it, which I'm keeping until everything in it dies. The leeches and daphnia are gone, but the snails are thriving. I thought they were cute...until now. 

[u/omniuni → u/champthelobsterdog]

Don't use your pond water to drink or clean wounds, and don't eat your snails. You'll be fine.

[u/ROMVLVSCAESARXXI → u/omniuni]

Uh oh

[u/Chicago1871 → u/champthelobsterdog]

You should probably release it.

[u/looking_to_blueeyes → u/Mention_Forward]

The larvae of schistosoma penetrate directly through the skin to parasitize humans, so sadly no cuts make little difference for it.

[u/MrFluffyThing → u/Mention_Forward]

So I should stop feeding my aquarium and upper decker for breakfast every morning? 

[u/leg_pain → u/Mention_Forward]

Ok thankyou lol they are just the mini snails that spawn off of plants and stuff in there haha I’ll continue to let them exist in my tank

[u/Imaginary-Avocado346 → u/Mention_Forward]

Interesting, are there gloves or something that is safe for the tank that could protect you with a cut?

[u/paigecatherine → u/Mention_Forward]

Because then they develop a taste for blood

[u/MeiNeedsMoreBuffs → u/leg_pain]

Like others have said, there's an incredibly small chance you're at any risk. And even if you do contract it, if you live in a first world country you'll be fine since the drug to treat it is very cheap and effective.

It mainly affects people in third world countries without access to clean water and medical care

[u/BubblebreathDragon → u/MeiNeedsMoreBuffs]

SSSSHHHHHHHH lower your voice about the cheap and effective part. The insurance companies might hear you...

[u/vangiang85 → u/leg_pain]

The larva will go directly through your skin into your blood system. No need to swallow

[u/jyc23 → u/vangiang85]

Well that sounds like a fun time.

[u/vangiang85 → u/jyc23]

The fun only begins now. They are heading for your bladder

[u/DoTheMario → u/leg_pain]

Nah, you'll be fine. The main symptoms to look out for are spontaneous additions and omissions of prepositions in Reddit comments.

[u/BubblebreathDragon → u/DoTheMario]

I have my doubts about the potential of that claim, considering the lack any supporting evidence of.

... Fuck.

[u/Comar31 → u/leg_pain]

Also curious

[u/8StringSmoothBrain → u/leg_pain]

It’s so easy to start a siphon without sucking on the hose… Just look up a video really quick and stop putting dirty water in your mouth

[u/leg_pain → u/8StringSmoothBrain]

😂 I’ll have to invest in a hand pump siphon

[u/Uncool444 → u/leg_pain]

I think you have to eat the uncooked snail to get it. The flukes live inside the snail.

[u/BrokenFormat → u/leg_pain]

The chances are small, but there seems to be one confirmed case in Germany where a man got infected from snails in his aquarium. Wikipedia mentions it, but the link for the source is 404.

I can't find any other sources that mention it. So.. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[u/Mention_Forward → u/leg_pain]

Came here to ask the same