News Animals

Freshwater leeches’ taste for snails could help control snail-borne diseases

More research is needed before leeches become snail biocontrol

A close up photo of several leeches on a transparent background.

These leeches are on the hunt for a snail snack. In the lab, Helobdella austinensis proved a sucker for snails. A new study proposes them as a form a biocontrol against snail-borne diseases.

Naim Saglam

By Bethany Brookshire

- More than 2 years ago

Leeches might seem like relics of a bygone age of medicine, but they haven’t outlived their usefulness to people yet.