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Giant African snails can feed on 500 different plants.
Giant African land snails can look like slow, harmless animals, or even appetizing gastropods to some. But in fact, they are “one of the most harmful snails in the world and a potential risk to human health”, according to US authorities who are hunting these invasive species.
“They are dangerous to our health because they carry parasites called lungworms, which is also called meningitis in humans,” Nikki Fried, Florida’s commissioner of agriculture, said during a briefing. press earlier this month in Pasco County, Florida.
“They consume at least 500 different plants. Making them a clear threat to our agricultural and natural spaces.”
Specially trained sniffer dogs and at least 30 people in Florida are scanning the lush gardens to eradicate these invasive species.
Since their last discovery in June, officials have captured more than 1,400 dead and alive snails in Pasco County, according to local media.
Giant African snails can measure up to 20 cm and reproduce quickly. “A single giant African snail can lay up to 2,000 eggs a year,” Jason Stanley, a biologist at the Florida Department of Agriculture, told AFP.
Threat to humans
But are humans also in danger? Potentially yes, according to experts.
These snails often harbor rat lungworms which, if ingested by humans, can travel to the brainstem where they can cause meningitis.
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30 employees and two detector dogs are on the lookout for snails.
“Normally it doesn’t affect people. But if it accidentally gets into a human being, the immature worms can get lost and end up in places where they can do a lot of damage, like inside the eyeballs. or even in the brain,” says Dr. William Kern, associate professor in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida.
A quarantine area has been established in New Port Richey: no plants or other vegetation may be removed from the area in an attempt to prevent the snails from spreading further.
To avoid infection, even dogs are trained not to grab snails by the mouth.
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The dogs have been trained not to bite or grab the snails with their mouths.
Has this ever happened?
The first invasion took place in the 1960s. It took seven years and a million dollars to clean it up. The second was in 2010 and this time it took ten years to eradicate them, at a cost of $23 million.
Only if snails are not seen for two years can the authorities declare the place snail-free.
In Europe, some people keep these snails as pets, but in the United States it is illegal to keep them without a license. Still, officials and experts suspect that this invasion could be due to pet dealers.
“It’s very likely that they could have been brought by someone as a potential pet. The ones we found in Pasco County have white skin instead of the normal gray color,” Dr. Kern tells BBC World Service Radio.
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The public is invited not to catch and eat the snails.
Originally from eastern Kenya and eastern Tanzania, it is now found in many places around the world, including South and Southeast Asia.
The United States Department of Agriculture states, “This mollusc is now established in many Caribbean islands, much of South America, and more recently has been introduced to Costa Rica.”
Not for the plate
Florida authorities are now asking people to report any sightings of these snails.
“If you see one of these snails, don’t touch it. Call us. They carry diseases like meningitis,” Commissioner Nikki Fried said. She also has a warning for those who would rather see them on a plate than in their garden.
“Above all, don’t eat them. It’s not a snail to put on butter, oil and garlic”.