Brain-Eating Parasite Found in San Diego
Venice Beach News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · The Daily News Now!
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Brain-Eating Parasite Detected in San Diego: Health Officials Warn of Rat Lungworm
Health officials in California are sounding the alarm about a brain-eating parasite, rat lungworm, which has been detected for the first time in San Diego County. The parasite was found in sick possums, rats, and a wallaby at the San Diego Zoo, with most cases confirmed from samples collected in 2025.
The worm lives in rat lungs and is spread through rat droppings, which snails and slugs consume. Humans can become infected by consuming infected produce, raw snails, or slime from these carriers. While the risk to humans remains low, infection can lead to severe issues like meningitis, headaches, fever, stiff neck, nausea, and even death in rare cases.
No human infections have been reported in California yet, but there have been over 220 confirmed cases across the country, mostly from Hawaii and the South. To stay safe, officials recommend washing fruits and vegetables well, avoiding raw snails, slugs, frogs, or crabs, and steering clear of garden hoses that might touch these pests.
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