Rare Rat Parasite Present In Alabama: CDC Report

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Growing and eating fresh vegetables from a home garden can be a healthy way to eat, but not for some people who are believed to have been infected with the rat lungworm - a rare parasite that has been detected on raw vegetables, among other sources - which health officials have said is a backyard garden problem.

A report by NBC News said 12 people in the U.S have reported to have encountered the parasite, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention believes the sources are a handful of southern states, including Alabama.

The NBC report said rat lungworm made headlines last month after it infected two people in China who ate raw centipedes, but people living in the U.S. might catch it by eating snails or vegetables out of home gardens, the CDC said.

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The parasite originates in rats, and is passed through rats into the soil and often carried by slugs and snails that in turn crawl on vegetables and plants. In six of the cases identified by the CDC since 2011, the infected lived in the southern U.S., including Texas, Tennessee and Alabama.

It does not always cause symptoms in people, but when it does, it often causes a severe headache. When the parasite reaches the brain, it can cause meningitis, an inflammation of the membrane surrounding the spinal cord. It also causes production of immune cells called eosinophils, which spill into the spinal fluid.

The CDC issued the report on the parasite Thursday to remind doctors to consider the possibility of rat lungworm infection in people who have eosinophilic meningitis. It is rarely fatal and usually gets better on its own, although the meningitis can cause long-lasting neurological symptoms such as weakness or shaking. One of the 12 patients the CDC studied developed seizures.

The CDC advises not to eat raw slugs or snails, avoid drinking water out of hoses, because snails can crawl inside them and to be sure to thoroughly wash any produce or raw vegetables before you eat them.

Photo Credit: RelaxImages/Shutterstock

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