A news report from Hawaii where rat lungworm, a parasitic infection, can be spread when an infected snail, one of the parasite hosts, climbs into the garden hose and then one drink water from the hose. Okay, this parasite is not common in the continental US, but is common in Hawaii and has been found in Louisiana and
Florida. That is not to say it can't make its way to other states, because while the one definitive host is the snail, the other definitive host is the rat.
Still, something to consider before taking that gulp of water from a hose that has been laying on the ground for weeks.....you never know what could have crawled in there.
From the CDC:
- "Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a parasitic nematode (worm) that resides in rodents and uses mollusks, such as slugs, as an intermediate host. Rats, such as the cotton rat, transmit the larvae through their feces. Slugs then ingest the larvae. Humans are accidental hosts of the parasite. The parasite is not able to complete its life cycle in humans and eventually dies in the abdomen. "
- "In humans, juvenile worms [can] migrate to the brain, or rarely in the lungs, where the worms ultimately die."
- "Most cases of infection are diagnosed in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin, but the parasite has also been found in Australia, some areas of Africa, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Louisiana." [It has also been found in Florida].
- "Very few cases have been reported in the continental United States. In 1993, a boy in New Orleans got infected by swallowing a raw snail “on a dare. ” The type of snail he swallowed isn’t known. He became ill a few weeks later, with muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, a slight fever, and vomiting. His symptoms went away in about 2 weeks, without treatment of the infection."
Local News
Health officials warn parents: Don't let your kids drink from the garden hose
By:
Terri Inefuku
Posted: May 12, 2017 03:44 PM HST
Updated: May 12, 2017 03:44 PM HST