In other words, the snail intermediate and bird hosts for a specific species of schistosome remain an enigma. In other words, they are quite host-specific. This is an important concept to remember when control measures are employed. Lymnaeidae and Physidae. Certain stages of the parasites that cause swimmers' itch must cycle through snails.
Larval stages develop and reproduce in the internal organs of the snail.
Each day, a couple thousand of these free-swimming cercariae emerge from the snail but do not feed and therefore will not live for much more than 24 hours in the water. No, there are at least nine species reported in Michigan that can serve as intermediate hosts for the parasites. Remember that most species of schistosomes have only one snail species that can serve as its host. Yes, many species of birds and some rodent species can harbor the adults parasites within their blood vessels. Some common hosts include common mergansers, mallards, Canada geese, swans, red-winged blackbirds, etc., as well as muskrats and mice.