Invasive snails in Georgia can kill you, wildlife agency warns
ATLANTA, Ga. - A type of infectious parasite has been spotted inside invasive snail species brought to Georgia, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
DNR said a parasite known as rat lungworm was found within apple and mystery snails. Apple snails are native to South America. Mystery snails are native to East Asia.
Both snails are illegal to have in Georgia, but somehow they have found their way into Georgia waterways like Lake Lanier.
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Rat lungworm is primarily found in rats, according to experts at the Centers for Disease Control and prevention. It can be found in snails when snails ingest the larvae of the parasite. Then the larvae can be ed to humans when raw or undercooked snails are eaten.
The parasite can cause headaches, stiff neck, tingling or painful feelings in the skin, low-grade fever, nausea and vomiting. In rare cases, it can cause a rare type of meningitis and death.
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The CDC says human-to-human transmission has never been documented.
This is the first time rat lungworm has been documented in snails in Georgia. The only other time the parasite was documented in Georgia was in rats near the Atlanta Zoo in 2019, according to DNR.
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