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Health officials have now confirmed a total of three cases of rat lungworm disease in travelers who have been to Hawaii. A report from the Hawaii Ministry of Health confirms the cases, which are apparently not related to each other.
The disease, officially known as angiostrongylosis but also called "rat lungworm disease," is caused by a parasitic infection. The parasite is known to target rats, hence its name, but its life cycle can also put it in contact with humans. The severity of the infection can vary from one person to another, but the disease can be fatal in some cases.
The parasite in question, a worm of the rat lung, has the habit of infecting rodents that can spread it through the stool. The parasite is known for its sleigh rides and, when a rat finds a gooey bugs on which to feast, the rodent gets infected and the life cycle begins again.
In humans, the parasite can wreak havoc on the nervous system. At the end of last year, a man who died after eating a slug on a challenge caused an infection with the rat lung worm that left him paralyzed. He remained in a compromised state for eight full years before dying. One of the three infections confirmed by health officials in Hawaii seems to be produced in the same way.
"One of the people went to East Hawaii in December 2018 and was infected by deliberately eating a slug on a challenge," says the state health department in a statement. "The individual became ill at the end of December and was not hospitalized for his symptoms."
Eating infected insects is not the only way to infect a person. Slugs that carry this parasite can contaminate food if they are not detected in shipments of fruits and vegetables. If the food is not washed before it is eaten, the parasite can pbad to a human host.
State officials urge visitors and residents to remember basic best practices when handling foods, including washing products before consuming them, to ensure they do not become an involuntary victim of evil parasites.
Image Source: Hans Lang / imageBROKER / REX / Shutterstock
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