What is Rat Lungworm (R.L.)?
Scientific name Angiostrongylus Cantonensis, R.L. is a parasitic roundworm that infects the brain and spinal cord. This parasite causes Eosinophilic Menegitis
Where is R.L. found?
R.L. is found in rodents around the United States.
Life cycle of R.L.
The life cycle of R.L. starts when eggs hatch in the lungs of a rat. The first-stage larvae are passed in rodent feces. Slugs and snails are the intermediate host. In the slug or snail, the larvae molt twice, and reach the infective stage. The cycle repeats after a rat ingest the third-stage larvae. When a human accidentaly consumes food containing the third-stage larvae, the larvae infects the new host and attacks the brain and spinal cord.
Statistics of R.L.
The first documented human infection of R.L. was in 1944 in Taiwan. Since then there have been almost 3,000 confirmed human cases as per CDC from about 30 different countries.
| Years | New Cases | Total Cases | New Deaths | Total Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-79 | ~1,000 | ~1,000 | ~5-10 | ~10-30 |
| 1980-89 | ~200 | ~1,200 | ~10-20 | ~20-50 |
| 1990-99 | ~200-500 | ~1,400-1,700 | ~50-100 | ~70-150 |
| 2000-09 | ~2,800 | ~4,200-4,500 | ~10-30 | ~80-180 |
| 2010-19 | ~2,500-2,800 | ~7,000 | ~20-50 | ~100-230 |
| 2020-26 | ~2,000 | ~9,000 | ~36 | ~136-266 |
How to protect yourself from R.L.
The easiest way to protect yourself fromR.L. Is to avaid eating raw snails and slugs and to thurughly wash your produce.