Paul,

The fluke, Dicrocelium dendriticum, which infects sheep and cattle is picked
up from grasses. Its complex life cycle involves fluke eggs consumed by a
snail, fluke cercaria consumption in snail mucus by ants, and return to
mammals via grass & ant consumption. The cited work, which I do not have at
hand, is Schmidt & Roberts, "Foundations of Parasitology," 1981 --probably
very species specific as to snail host, and an unlikely problem with good
cooking practice, as you said-- I'll try to run down the snail species.

I would worry about heavy metals like arsenic (weed control), and tetraethyl
lead if it is still being added to gasoline.

-Burton

> From: Automatic digest processor <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 00:00:46 -0400
> To: Recipients of CONCH-L digests <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: CONCH-L Digest - 22 May 2002 to 23 May 2002 (#2002-150)

> . . .
> and certain terrestrial slugs and snails do serve as
> intermediate hosts for such parasites.  Cows get infected by inadvertently
> consuming snails along with the grass they eat.  But those snails, while I
> don't remember the exact genera involved, are tiny species, not the larger
> forms usually eaten by humans. . . .