Transient definitive host presence is sufficient to sustain avian schistosome populations

• Published in: bioRxiv
• Main Authors: Rudko, Sydney P, Mcphail, Brooke A, Reimink, Ronald L, Froelich, Kelsey, Turnbull, Alyssa, Hanington, Patrick C
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 06.10.2021
• Subjects: Abundance; Host specificity; Lakes; Life cycles; Migratory birds; Parasites; Species; United States > US; Michigan

To control swimmer's itch in northern Michigan inland lakes, one species of bird, the common merganser (Mergus merganser), has been relocated from several lakes since 2015. Relocation efforts are driven by a desire to reduce the prevalence of the swimmer's itch-causing parasite Trichobilha...