Rat Lung Worm Disease
Rat Lung worm disease
(Angiostrongylus catonensis) is a parasite that is mainly carried by rodents
like rats and mice and can be passed on to snails and slugs that come in
contact with the infected faeces. Humans then become infected by eating an
infected snail or slug, or even just eating a lettuce that an infected slug has
passed over.
Most
people that attain Rat Lung Worm disease have no symptoms at all. It usually
takes between 1-3 weeks from when you eat the snail or slug to when you start
to suffer from these symptoms. But others may have mild, short or lived
symptoms. Very rarely, Rat Lung Worm disease causes an infection to the brain
(Eosinophilic Meningoencephalitis). People that suffer from this condition may
attain headaches, a stiff neck, fever, tingling or pain in the skin, vomiting
and nausea.
Rat Lung
Worm disease is spread through rat faeces and is infectious. The full grown
lung worms are found in rats. The Infected rats excrete the lung worm larvae,
leaving it in its faeces. The Parasites can then infect slugs and snails that
touch or eat the rat faeces. Humans can become infected when they deliberately
or accidently eat a raw slug or snail that is carrying the lung worm or larvae.
Humans may also become infected if they eat an unwashed lettuce or other raw
leafy vegetables that could have been contaminated by the slime or infected
snails or slugs.
Rat Lung
Worm disease is an extremely uncommon infection. In the Last 50 years there
have been less than ten serious cases of the infection in Australia.
Rat Lung
Worm disease was first identified in a patient in Taiwan (1944). The doctors
named the parasite Haemostrongylus ratti. They also stated that the raw food
eaten by the patient could have been contaminated by rats. It was first
internationally recognised in 1964. Rat Lung Worm disease was the cause of a
terrible outbreak of angiostrongyliasis on the island of Hawai’i.
Rat Lung
worm disease is fairly easy to prevent. Rat lung Worm disease can be prevented
by not eating raw slugs or snails. If you do plan on eating them, make sure
they are entirely cooked through. Infants and young children should be
supervised outside where they can easily eat a slug or snail. You should wash
all vegetables thoroughly to ensure all possible slugs or snails or even the
slime has been washed off.
Rat Lung
Worm disease is not usually treated as most people recover without treatment
over a period of time that could last from days to months. Although the
infection can sometimes roll over to severe meningitis that will require
specialist treatment. The infection is only occasionally fatal. There is no
vaccine for this infection.
In the
past there have been studies done on Rat Lung Worm disease in China, Thailand
and Taiwan. But at this point of time no medical research is being done.
Rat Lung
worm disease is most prone to strike in areas that snails and slugs are most
active. Snails are slugs are most active during the night and on cold and foggy
days. This makes young children more exposed to the disease as they could pick
snails and slugs up from the floor when playing outside. The larvae can survive
up to 72 hours in water. This also enables the Rat Lung Worm larvae to survive
in the slime of a snail or slug in really wet and muggy conditions.
References
Au.news.yahoo.com,
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[Accessed 30 Apr. 2014].
Health.nsw.gov.au, (2014). A to Z Infectious Diseases
- Infectious Disease. [Online] Available at:
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/Pages/a-to-z-infectious-diseases.aspx
[Accessed 28 Apr. 2014].
Health.nsw.gov.au, (2014). Rat Lung Worm
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http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/Rat-Lung-Worm.aspx
[Accessed 28 Apr. 2014].
Ipm.ucdavis.edu,
(2014). Snails and Slugs Management Guidelines--UC IPM. [Online]
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May. 2014].
Pharmacy.uhh.hawaii.edu,
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http://pharmacy.uhh.hawaii.edu/rlw/faq.php [Accessed 1 May. 2014].
The Age, (2010). Rat lungworm fear after slug-eating
dare. [Online] Available at:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/rat-lungworm-fear-after-slugeating-dare-20100513-
Waif.org.au,
(2014). Rat Lung Worm. [Online] Available at: http://www.waif.org.au/WAIF/Rat_Lung_Worm.html
[Accessed 1 May. 2014].
Wikipedia,
(2014). Angiostrongylus cantonensis. [Online] Available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiostrongylus_cantonensis [Accessed 30 Apr.
2014].
