Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden

by Barbara Fahs

Parasites in Paradise
Unwashed Veggies Might Make You Very Sick

A serious disease exists in Hawai‘i. It’s called Angiostrongyliasis, or “rat-lung” disease and it affects a growing number of people.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health reports in their fact sheet that rat-lung disease is a “disease that affects the brain and spinal cord,” and that it is caused by a “parasitic worm called Angiostrongylus cantonensis found throughout Asia and the South Pacific.” The Health Department added this disease to their list of reportable diseases in January 2005, but the parasite that causes it has been documented in several species of snails and slugs since the 1960’s.

How do you get it?

The most common way of contracting this disease is by eating “undercooked snails, slugs, prawns, land crabs, and lettuce or other leafy vegetables contaminated with the third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis. The creatures become infected if they have eaten infected rat feces.” The Centers for Disease Control Web site cautions, “There is some question whether or not larvae can exit the infected mollusks in slime.” What does this really mean and how might it affect you?

Watch out for these critters

The common suspects in our part of Hawai‘i are two species of slug and the giant African snail, or Achatina fulica. They are all introduced species. If you have seen a small gray slug with a hump on its back, this is the “semi-slug,” Parmarion martensi. The Cuban slug (Veronicella cubensis) is also common and carries the disease as well. It is flat, can be as long as two inches, and has a fairly tough skin. If you have seen any of these creatures on your property be sure not to touch them. If you grow any food crops, thoroughly wash all produce before you eat it.

What are the symptoms?

The most serious form of infection is a type of meningitis, which can cause “severe headache and stiffness of the neck and back, tingling or painful feelings in the skin, nausea and vomiting. Low-grade fever and a temporary paralysis of the face may also be present. Light sensitivity may also occur. The symptoms can last from a few days to several months,” according the Department of Health. If you get it, your symptoms might not begin for one to three weeks after you ingest this parasite, so it can be difficult to pin it to a specific incidence of consuming fruit or vegetables that contained the larvae.

How is rat-lung disease treated?

The Health Department and a person I know who is suffering from this disease both report that there is no specific treatment for this disease—aside from pain-killing medications—and that the parasite dies over time. I asked an acupuncturist if he knew of any helpful treatments and he said “no.” Rat-lung disease is not known to cause death, but I would worry about people with compromised immune systems, very young children and the elderly. Fortunately, this disease is not spread from person to person. It is believed that you can catch it more than once.

Prevention is the only cure

Obviously, you should never eat any unwashed raw foods that you know have been grown in areas where these slugs and snails exist. The Health Department states, “If you must handle these mollusks, wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. Washing produce may not remove all infectious larvae, so avoid eating anything that you know has been contaminated by snails or slugs.… Boil suspect snails, prawns, fishes, and crabs for at least 3 to 5 minutes.” I would add: do not eat any snails in Hawai‘i! Because I know that all three species of slug and snail exist on my property, I always wash all my fruits and veggies in a sinkful of water into which I have added a generous amount of apple cider vinegar. I recommend washing your homegrown papayas—the African snail climbs papaya trees and slimes the fruit, which, when cut, might introduce the parasite into the flesh.

You can control snails and slugs with commercial products such as snail bait or “Sluggo,” which is organic. Beer traps will kill them, and copper strips will keep them out of your garden beds and off your papaya trees.

If you suspect that you might have this disease, be sure to seek prompt medical attention.

Update on experiment

In February’s column I announced that I would conduct an experiment with young tomato plants to determine whether water heated in a microwave oven has an effect on the plants’ growth and general health. None of the plants look very good at this time, but the two that I have been watering with the microwaved water actually look a little better than the two I’ve been watering with regular catchment water. I’m ending the experiment now because if there is no significant difference in three months, I’d say that it doesn’t matter what kind of water you use. It looks as if the urban myth is not true, but I encourage you to try your own experiments with other plants and send me the results.

Click Here
cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/angiostrongylus/factsht_angiostrongylus.htm
dpd.cdc.gov/DPDx/HTML/Search_Choices.htm

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Barbara Fahs is the owner and creator of Hi‘iaka's Healing Herb Garden, LLC and author of the book Super Simple Guide to Creating Hawaiian Gardens. Contact her at 966-6126, goddess@hiiakas.com or www.hiiakas.com to read past Hawai‘i Island Journal columns and learn about her workshops, internships and Garden tours.