Yes, you can get meningitis from a snail only if you eat a raw snail.
According to the Centers for Prevention and Disease Control, snails can contain a parasitic worm that can cause meningitis.
However, having spent six years as a farmer raising hundreds of various kinds of snails, Snails are known to be helpful, yet they may also be harmful in multiple ways most of the time.
But do you know that many people are unaware that getting meningitis can do much more harm to your health?
Well, without spending much of your time, In this article, I will share with you the effects of meningitis and how to prevent meningitis in snails.
Can Edible snail cause illnesses? Find out all about snails and possible illnesses
What Are Meningitis In Snails
No specific illness causes meningitis. In medical terminology, this is a word used to describe the enlargement of the membranes around the brain and spine. Infections with viruses, bacteria, and fungi can all produce a sore throat.
However, snails are known to transmit illnesses such as schistosomiasis, fasciolosis, and eosinophilic meningitis,
Snails may transmit these diseases to humans by contact with snail secretions.
Meningitis, on the other hand, can occur when the fluid around the meninges gets contaminated.
In most cases, this inflammation occurs as a result of viral or bacterial infections.
In the case of the snails, it is caused by a rat parasite. The parasite’s normal life cycle involves moving between two different types of organisms. It digs around in the rat’s lung during its mature stage.
At some time, it releases a larva, which then migrates to the rat’s faeces and pupates. Snails, while grazing on leaves, consume the rat faeces together with the rest of the vegetation.
The larvae infect the snails and remain in them until they are nearly fully matured.
Find out if it Is good or bad to eat snail
Can Snails Cause Meningitis
Yes, meningitis caused by snails is so dangerous to your health and can spread diseases to people.
Snails become infected with the parasite by consuming the faeces of rats that are afflicted with it. The parasite enters the circulation and makes its way to the central nervous system.
According to the official number of people who die each year as a result of snails, it appears that snails are among the deadliest creatures on earth if care is not taken!
They’ve been chastised for harming the environment and causing meningitis among the population.
What Are The Effects Of Meningitis
Meningitis can have a lot of effects on the body. Some symptoms, like fever and stiff neck, may appear straight quickly. Others, on the other hand, may arise after a person’s meningitis infection has resolved.
It may affect anybody, although it is more frequent in newborns, young children, teens, and young adults.
While many people recover from meningitis with adequate medical care, some people may suffer from long-term consequences due to their illness. During or after the disease, meningitis may cause the following effects:
Headache
One of the most typical symptoms of meningitis is an intense headache, which can last for many days.
The inflammation that arises around the brain and spinal cord can cause substantial discomfort.
This headache has the potential to be misinterpreted as a migraine.
Rashes
On the other hand, a rash might be caused by several distinct forms of meningitis.
It can spread to more significant areas of the skin. It may also darken in hue
The rash commonly appears in the latter stages of meningitis, when the disease has progressed even further.
If a person becomes unwell, has a high temperature, and develops a rash, they should seek medical attention.
Sudden Fever
fever is the most significant effect on the body that occurs with meningitis.
A fever is the body’s response to an invading organism, such as a virus or bacteria that has infected it.
It is usual for patients to experience a high fever at any point throughout their illness.
Confusion And Learning Problems
Confusion and behavioral abnormalities might occur as a result of the swelling and inflammation.
It is possible to have long-term difficulties with memory and focus in some circumstances. Children can have learning issues.
Bulging Soft Spot
Babies have placed on the head known as fontanels, known as gaps where the skull’s bones have not yet fused.
And is the biggest fontanel, which is located on the top of the skull. It should feel solid and slightly indented when pressed.
If a baby’s fontanel looks bulging, this might be a symptom of brain enlargement or fluid buildup, which requires emergency medical intervention.
Stiff Neck
It is possible for a child or newborn suffering from meningitis to have a rigid neck and be hesitant or unable to turn their head forward.
Meningitis can cause an adult to have a stiff and painful neck in the later stages of the illness.
Sensitivity To Light
While meningitis causes swelling in the brain and headaches, it might cause light sensitivity and worsen the headache when gazing at a light.
Infants and children may scream or shy away from bright lights.
Sleepiness Or Difficulty Waking
If a person cannot be roused from sleep or appears to be extremely tired, this might be a sign of a meningitis infection in its early stages.
The sickness may impair a person’s ability to remain attentive, making it difficult to stay awake.
Lack Of Appetite
As a result of a meningitis infection, the brain swells and becomes inflamed. All systems of the body might be affected.
And this means that a person may not feel like eating or may be too unwell to eat.
Hearing Loss, Or Deafness
Hearing loss is a typical side effect of meningitis infection, occurring in both children and adults.
People who have recovered from meningitis should get their hearing tested to rule out any potential hearing impairments.
Some people will experience a lifelong loss of hearing, while others will experience a slight loss.
Tinnitus, sometimes known as ringing in the ears, can arise as a result of meningitis.
Seizures Or Epilepsy
Meningitis can cause brain swelling or pressure, causing normal brain function to be disrupted and resulting in a seizure.
Seizures during a meningitis episode do not imply that the individual has or will develop epilepsy.
However, because the pressure and inflammation can cause persistent brain damage, those who recover from meningitis may develop epilepsy.
Vision Loss Or Blindness
After a meningitis infection, it is possible that the optic nerve, which is critical for vision, would get affected.
However, it can result in temporary or permanent blurred vision and blindness in some cases.
During the severe stage of a disease, a person may also notice that they are losing their eyesight.
This is what happens everytime you consume snail
Can You Get Meningitis From Eating Snails
Eating raw or undercooked snails, or consuming slime residue left on fresh fruits and vegetables, appears to be the most common source of illness and mortality from snail-transmitted diseases.
People can become infected with lungworm larvae if they consume a raw snail or slug that includes the larvae, which is not suitable for your health.
However, they will be infected if they eat unwashed lettuce or other fresh green vegetables contaminated with the slime of infected snails or slugs.
People infected with rat lungworms do not spread the infection to others.
When a person consumes unwashed snail-contaminated food, he becomes infected with a parasite moving within his body.
Direct and indirect irritations can develop when this happens, inflaming the membranes (meninges) that cover the nervous system.
Snails is a delicacy in many regions of the world. So, should you run a mile when you’re served some? Not at all.
Snails served in restaurants are often bred in captivity and heavily cleansed to eliminate poisons. People become sick after eating terrestrial and freshwater snails and slugs.
If the meat comes from untrustworthy or questionable sources, stay away from them.
Purchase your edible dried-freeze Giant African snail here
Can You Get Meningitis From Giant African Land Snails
Yes, Only if you eat it raw. But to be safe, I will recommend a dried freezed snail that Is organically processed under the best condition and certified.
Giant African snails are believed to contain a parasite (in their slime, no less) that causes a type of disease that is damaging to people.
It’s one of the giant terrestrial snails, with a full-grown adult measuring more than eight inches (20 cm) in length and five inches (13 cm) in diameter.
The gigantic African land snail is a highly invasive agricultural pest that feeds on over 500 different plant species.
They are also dangerous to humans and animals because they carry rat lungworm, a parasite that may cause meningitis in humans.
Snails should not be handled unless they are appropriately protected and sanitized.
The Giant African Snail (Achatina Fulica) is considered an invasive and lethal species for the human environment.
It carries a parasite capable of causing diseases such as meningitis, intestinal affections, and meningoencephalitis.
However, this causes severe brain inflammation, making it an environmental, agricultural, and public health threat.
Can Garden Snails Give You Meningitis
People frequently ask me this question, and the answer is that not all snails and slugs are infected with the lungworm parasite.
Garden snails, on the other hand, represent a far lower risk to you than giant African land snails, which is a good thing given the fact that you’re far more likely to come across a garden snail.
You can’t pick up a garden snail and cook it if you want to eat it as escargot.
Snails consume harmful compounds such as insecticides and snail bait as they wander across flower beds searching for food.
If you eat a snail while these substances are still in his system, you also consume those compounds, which might be dangerous.
Snails can eat healthy while flushing out pollutants by placing them in a mesh-covered container with cornmeal at the bottom. The snails should be safe to consume after at least three days.
What Happens If You Eat A Raw Snail
Eating raw snails can cause rat lungworm disease, a rare but deadly condition that affects the lungs.
Once ingested, parasites make their way to the central nervous system, where they inevitably die.
Human beings can get eosinophilic meningitis after consuming a snail that has been infested by worms and has made its way to the brain.
Headaches, numbness, and spasms are among the symptoms, and in the most challenging situations, they might result in death.
Uncooked snail meat and wild snails should be avoided at all costs.
Can You Get Meningitis From Touching A Snail
Snails are not venomous. Therefore touching them or even allowing one to crawl on you poses no threat.
Snails and slugs may not appear harmful, but they can be deadly if they contain a parasitic nematode (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), also known as the rat lungworm.
Contamination of the hands when preparing raw snails or slugs may result in parasite intake.
People who handle snails or slugs while gardening should thoroughly wash their hands.
Snails are nearly always safe to handle, but it’s a good idea to wash your hands before and after to reduce the risk of harm to you or your snail before eating or preparing food.
Wear gloves if you do not want to touch the snails.
Can I Die From Meningitis
Meningitis may be highly dangerous if not treated soon. Some persons with the illness generally die, and death can occur in as short as a few hours.
However, most people recover from bacterial meningitis. Those who recover might suffer lifelong problems, such as brain damage, hearing loss, and learning difficulties.
It can induce life-threatening blood poisoning (septicemia) and irreversible damage to the brain or nerves.
A variety of immunizations are available that give some protection against meningitis.
How to Avoid Meningitis in Snails
Some basic precautions may be taken to avoid rat lungworm disease:
- Snails and slugs should not be eaten uncooked. If you’re going to eat snails, make sure they’re thoroughly cooked.
- Keep babies and little children under your supervision in areas where snails and slugs may be present.
- Before eating fresh vegetables or lettuce, thoroughly wash them to remove any snails or slugs (or their slime).
- Ensure to wash your hand after gardening or handling snails or slugs,
- Consider eradicating snails and slugs in vegetable gardens and pests in the home.
- Adequate care must be put in place to ensure that small children do not ingest if snail pellets or rodent baits are used.
In situations where any portion of a snail or slug has been consumed within the past seven days, preventive therapy with prescription medicine may be considered.
You should consult your healthcare provider, who will refer you to the guidelines published by the local health department.
Final Thought
Snails are known for their benefit, and they can also be harmful to your health if care is not taken proper.
Snails are common, especially in our yard. Slugs and snails can infect garden products with rat lungworm parasites, which are harmful to one’s health.
Be cautious about what you eat since having meningitis in your body may be pretty dangerous if not treated promptly. It is capable of causing life-threatening blood poisoning.
I recommend you get dried-freeze Giant African Land snail for healthy snails.
