Wall Street Hedge

Monday, March 8, 2021
Log in
  • Home
  • Nation & Politics
  • Financial News
  • Technology & Research
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Latest News
      • Business
      • Nature
      • Science
      • World
      • VA Hospitals Are Still Under Investigation for Suspected Drug Thefts

Highly Invasive New Guinea Flatworm Reaches US

By Leave a Comment

New Guinea Flatworm

New Guinea Flatworm

The highly invasive New Guinea Flatworm reaches US mainland and poses a great threat to snails and thus, to a great part of the environment.

The New Guinea flatworm is a 65 mm long olive black worm, with a beige belly. It actually has its bucal cavity on the ventral part of its body and on its dorsal side two black eyes stand out. It also has a long white stripe all that passes through its black side, that is a characteristic feature of the species.

It is known worldwide for its exacerbated appetite for snails. Upon its entry into a new habitat, snail populations are decimated soon after, leaving that habitat without a food source for very many animals, including birds, reptiles and mammals. There even are some insects the feed on snails, among those the seemingly harmless firefly.

And snails are not important to the habitat just because of their ability to please the appetite of all of these animals, but also because themselves in turn feed on vegetation that is decomposing and a wide range of fungi and bacteria. Therefore, it has an crucial role in fertilizing the soil and improving its quality.

France has witnessed the insatiable appetite of the New Guinea flatworm firsthand, and is now sharing its knowledge on this extremely vicious pest.

“This should be considered a significant threat to the whole of the US and even to the rest of the Americas.” said Jean-Lou Justine, of the Institute of Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity.

He pointed out that most New Guinea flatworm infestations have occurred on islands until now and therefore, the spread of this slimy foe has been limited by territory. But now it has been identified in Miami, Florida. And since now it has reached the US mainland, it will be much easier for it to spread all across the US unless very tough measures are immediately put into action by the American authorities.

It seems that this flatworm is very easily spread along with plant that are transported on either long or short distances. Due to its particular coloring, it is quite hard to spot in the soil and it can escape undetected almost effortlessly. It has almost no known predators, because it appears that it has a pretty foul taste, at least foul enough for birds to avoid it and so it makes an almost perfect criminal.

The New Guinea flatworm is on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) top 100 most dangerous invasive species list, precisely because of these creepy features and abilities.

The only health risk it poses to humans comes from its role in the transmission of a parasite called Angiostrongylus cantonensis, otherwise known as the rat lungworm. The Platydemus manokwari flatworm is only a paratenic host, which means that it only transports a certain evolutionary stage of the parasite, without it actually developing inside it.

However, it seems that it is quite an effective means of transport for the parasite, as it positions its larvae on cabbage leaves and other vegetables, that constitute one of the means of transmission to humans. Therefore it is extremely important that people wash their vegetables thoroughly, so as to avoid contamination.

The American authorities will have to act quickly and develop effective methods before the vicious New Guinea flatworm settles on US land for good and exterminated all snails out there.
Image Source: independent.co.uk

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Filed Under: Technology & Research

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 15 other subscribers

Recent Articles

AXA building in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Insurer AXA To Buy XL Group For $15 Billion

By Leave a Comment

New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street.

Wall Street Comes Out Intact As Global Stock Rise

By Leave a Comment

Ryanair profits are up despite threats of pilot strike.

Ryanair Profits Are Up But A New Pilot Strike May Be Around The Corner

By Leave a Comment

Bitcoin bubble may burst, analysts speculate.

Bitcoin Bubble Shows Signs Of Bursting

By Leave a Comment

One percent amassed 82 percent of the world's fortune last year.

82 Percent Of The World’s Wealth Went To The One Percent In 2017, According To Oxfam Report (Report)

By Leave a Comment

Morgan Stanley will be hit with a $1.25 billion charge as part of the new Republican tax cut.

Morgan Stanley To Be Hit With $1.25 Billion Charge From Republican Tax Reform

By Leave a Comment

General Electric Laboratory

High Demand For Renewable Forces General Electric To Slash 12 Thousand Jobs Worldwide

By Leave a Comment

Cryptocurrency bitcoin coins

Cryptocurrency Is Worth More Than JPMorgan, Bitcoin Raises Concerns

By Leave a Comment

Computer circuit board

Chipmaker Company, Marvell Technology, to Buy its Rival Cavium in $6 billion Deal

By Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving Dinner Will Cost Less This Year as Food Gets Cheaper

By Leave a Comment

Doctors in surgery

Vermont Is Preparing New Health Care System

By Leave a Comment

Saudi Arabia’s capital city Riyadh

Saudi Arabia Has Just Bought Huge Stake in Uber

By Leave a Comment

No Agreement Yet on the Trans-Pacific Partnership

By Leave a Comment

Samsung Shareholders Approve Deal Which Sees Lee Family Gain More Control

By Leave a Comment

Related Articles

  • Google Home speaker placed on a wooden shelf

    The Spanish Google Home Might Be a Serious Blow for Amazon Alexa

  • Sea of Thieves screenshot showing an underwater pirate

    Sea of Thieves Devs Announce the Official Release Date of the First DLC

  • Xiaomi logo on an orange background

    Xiaomi Won’t Bring Its Smartphones to US but Has Smart Devices and Accessories

  • Nintendo logo on a red background

    Nintendo and Cygames Are Working on a Mobile RPG Called Dragalia Lost

  • Blue-green exoplanet that is uninhabitable

    Researchers Create Alien Searching AI to Find Exoplanets that Might Host Life

  • Fake news on laptop.

    Fake News Spreads A Lot Faster On Social Media Than The Truth (Study)

  • desktop computer with facebook on screen and mouse and keyboard in front

    People Spent Less Time on Facebook at the End of 2017

  • counter-strike global offensive logo in black on white

    Jess Cliffe, the Co-Creator of Counter-Strike, Was Arrested

  • mark zuckerberg against a blue background with facebook on it

    Facebook Updates: Local News Gain Visibility

  • A building with the Tesla logo on it

    Tesla Inc to Turn On World’s Biggest Lithium-Ion Battery in Australia

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Financial News
  • Lifestyle & Health
  • Nation & Politics
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Science
  • Technology & Research
  • World

Copyright © 2021 WallStreetHedge.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Contact

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.