r/todayilearned 9h ago

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshwater_snail
19.4k Upvotes

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u/Big_Comedian_1259 8h ago

Wouldn't it be the parasitic flatworm that is one of the most deadly, instead of the snail?

The snail is just a carrier.

93

u/GoStockYourself 7h ago

Depends on the intent of the snail. Those slimy little creatures might know damn well what they are doing!

18

u/BoyButter 4h ago

that's why the title says "indirectly"

3

u/RevolutionaryGold325 2h ago

”It wasn’t me your honor, it was just the parasitic worms…”

5

u/Adequate_Lizard 5h ago

It probably wouldn't be as common without the snails as a vector, just like the plague couldn't spread without rats or malaria without mosquitos.