Murder snails? Florida officials have issued a pest alert to warn state residents about the presence of giant African land snails, which can damage crops and may carry a parasite that causes meningitis.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services warned residents of Pasco County, in particular, to look out for the snail.
“The giant African land snail … is one of the most invasive pests on the planet, causing agricultural and environmental damage wherever it is found,” the alert said. The snail is popular in the pet trade in other countries, the alert said. But it is prohibited by federal law in the U.S. and can’t be legally owned or sold.Angiostrongylus cantonensis
, which can cause meningitis in humans and animals. Most cases of rat lungworm disease occur in parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands, but some cases have been identified in the U.S., including in Hawaii and Louisiana, accordingPeople can get the disease when they eat raw or undercooked snails or slugs that are infected, as well as fruits or vegetables that haven’t been washed well.
Some infected people don’t have any symptoms or only report mild symptoms that don’t last long, the CDC said. But the infection can cause a rare type of meningitis, called eosinophilic meningitis, that includes symptoms such as a headache,
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