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Monday, May 27, 2019, 13:51 – While infections are rare, officials say that it is important to be aware of the risks.
One of the tourists caught the disease after eating a slug on a challenge. Stock photo courtesy: Pixabay
Three unrelated cases of angiostrongylosis, or rat lungworm disease, have been confirmed among visitors to the island of Hawaii, according to a report recently released by the Department of Health of Canada. Hawaii (DOH).
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ATE SLUG ON A DARE
One of the adult tourists, a resident of the continental United States, was infected in December 2018 after eating a slug in the challenge. The anonymous person was not hospitalized, says the DOH.
Another visitor became ill in January 2019. The individual was not hospitalized. Although the way they became ill is unclear, this may be due to the consumption of several homemade salads during the holidays.
The third patient contracted the disease in February 2019, requiring hospitalization. The source of the disease is not confirmed, but the DOH suspects the infection to have occurred when the tourist ate "fruits, vegetables and other unwashed raw plants directly from the ground".
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FIVE CASES IN 2019, TEN IN 2018
So far, there have been five confirmed cases of rat lung worm in Hawaii in 2019, and 10 the year before. All infections occurred on Hawaii Island.
"It is important to ensure that our visitors are aware of precautions to prevent rat lungworm disease, which can have serious long-term effects," said Bruce Anderson, DOH Director of Health. in a statement.
WHAT IS RAT LUNGWORM?
Life cycle of infection with rat lungworm. Courtesy: CDC).
The rat lung worm is a disease that affects the human brain and spinal cord. It is caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a parasite of roundworms.
The adult form of the parasite lives in rodents, which can let the larvae pbad through their faeces.
"Ingesting these larvae can result in the infection of snails, slugs and some other animals (including freshwater shrimps, ground crabs and frogs)," explains the DOH on its website.
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"Humans can be infected with A. cantonensis if they eat (intentionally or unintentionally) an infected intermediate host that is raw or undercooked, thereby ingesting the parasite."
In humans, worms can migrate to the lungs or brain where they will die.
According to a statement posted on the Australian NSW government website, most people will recover without treatment for several weeks or months, but an infection can sometimes be fatal.
PREVENTION OF LUNGWORM RAT
When you visit the island of Hawaii, the DOH recommends:
- Wash all fruits and vegetables with clean running water to remove slugs and tiny snails.
- Ensure that snail, slug and rat populations around homes, gardens and farms are controlled.
- Inspection, washing and storage of products in sealed containers, whether from a local retailer, a farmers' market or a vegetable garden.
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