Lungworm Rat: A nasty parasite with an ugly name

Lungworm Rat: A nasty parasite with an ugly name

lungworm Rat; Anasty Parasite With An Ugly Name

Lungworm Rat: A nasty parasite with an ugly name

A new study found that nearly a quarter of researchers tested rats in Florida had a nasty parasite with such an ugly name as your host.

The study found that the parasitic nematode, or worm, is common in Hawaii and has found sporadic in the southeastern United States.

Rat lungworm, or Angiostrongylus cantonensis, can be transmitted between molluscs - such as snails and slugs - and rats and humans can cause sick people. According to the State Department of Health Hawaii, to infect a human, parasites can not reproduce or mature, and die in due course.

The CDC says that humans can not transmit the parasite to others. He says the regions with more reports of infection are the Pacific region and Southeast Asia. The CDC says it has also been found in Australia, Africa and Cuba, as well as in Hawaii and Louisiana.

How it spreads

According to a new study of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats and snails in Florida, the parasite needs different types of animals to live your life. The lead author of the study, Heather D. Stockdale Walden, PhD, assistant professor of parasitology at the University of Florida, said it is normal that parasites have multiple hosts to complete its life cycle.

The researchers collected over 170 rats from 18 Florida counties and found the parasite in 39 rats.

In the life cycle of the endless rat lung, snails eat excrement from infected rats, Walden said. The parasite develops in the spiral before the rats eat the snail, and the parasite matures in the rat. She says that other animals such as frogs and crustaceans (shrimps, for example) can also be invited for worm development, and humans are infected when they eat infected snails, slugs, frogs and crustaceans.

She says that when you eat an infected animal, the parasite enters the bloodstream through the intestine, which can then carry the parasite to her brain. How bad are the symptoms, it depends on the number of larvae that eat says.

symptoms

The study said that infected adults may have fever, headaches, neck stiffness, vomiting and nausea. Symptoms in children include fever, vomiting and nausea.

The study also indicates that human eyes can be infected by the parasite, requiring surgery to remove the worms. It can also cause a form of meningitis.

People who have a more serious infection can go into coma or death.

The Hawaii State Department of Health says that generally, symptoms appear within 1 to 3 weeks, but in some cases start up to 6 weeks after infection. The agency also says that symptoms usually last from 2 to 8 weeks, but longer periods have been documented.

Diagnosis and treatment

Hawaii officials say there is no test to diagnose lung worm in rats and the diagnosis is often based on the history of a patient's exposure. The CDC states that its travel history and what you eat can play in the way it is diagnosed.

The CDC says there is no specific treatment for the disease, but there are treatments for the symptoms.

prevention

One does not build immunity to rat lung worms to have it, so you can catch the parasite several times, said Health Department Hawaii. Walden says that if you should not panic about this parasite, it helps to be mindful of how it separates.

Walden recommends the following methods to prevent infection:

Wash fruits and vegetables, making sure they are clean before eating.
Wash your hands thoroughly and practice good hygiene.
Do not drive snails.

Make sure snails, frogs and shellfish are cooked before eating.