Mute swan deaths in St. Catharines caused by enteric parasite

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2 Responses

  1. Judit Smits says:

    So one wonders what in the environment of the mute swans is compromising their ability to deal with these parasites, or what is encouraging unusually high density or infectivity of the Sphaeridiotrema fluke. Is the density of birds higher, or the water quality/quantity different from normal?

    • Doug Campbell says:

      There is experimental evidence that mute swans are more susceptible to this parasite than are some other species. Also, experimentally, there is some evidence that birds may develop some resistance to the parasite if exposed early in life.

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