A 21-year-old man from Sydney, Australia is in critical condition right now as a result of a silly dare. The challenge was simply to eat a slug, a bad idea, because now he’s contracted a rat lungworm.
Rat lungworm or Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic infection in rats where the worm matures. Molluscs such as snails and slugs pick up Angiostrongylus larvae by ingesting them in rat feces.
The contagion is by accident or, as in this case, intentionally ingesting raw snails and slugs. Lettuce and other leafy vegetables can also be a source if they are contaminated with small mollusks. Eating raw or undercooked shrimp and crabs that have ingested shellfish can also be a source of infection.
Many cases of rat lungworm are asymptomatic or show mild symptoms. However, rat lungworm can cause a very serious condition known as eosinophilic meningitis (because the cerebrospinal fluid can have a high percentage of eosinophils). Symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, skin tingling or pain, swelling of the brain, low-grade fever, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms can last from weeks to months. Deaths have been reported.
Since the parasite eventually dies because it is unable to mature and complete its life cycle in humans, treatment is not usually necessary. Usually treatment of symptoms; headache medications and steroids are all that is needed. Antiparasitic medications are generally ineffective against rat lungworm.
To avoid rat lungworm:
• Don’t eat raw or undercooked snails or slugs.
• Cook crabs and shrimp to kill the larvae.
• Clean lettuce and other produce well.
