Stop Rat Lungworm Disease

09/03/2026

⚠️⚠️Attention Community ⚠️⚠️
We ALL need to help STOP RAT LUNG WORM DISEASE…
Get a Slug Jug and Tell Your Neighbor About A Slug Jug.
Do this small part and collect slugs 🐌 on your property…It’s as easy as that to lower the slug population on your property by 30-40%! Think about if we ALL collected…together we could to protect our community from future Rat Lung Worm Infections. Less slugs means less amounts of the disease.
We CAN do This…
We CAN STOP RAT LUNG WORM DISEASE in Hawaii, if WE do it TOGETHER
~❤️The Al’s Hydroponic Hutic Hut

08/28/2026

I was hospitalized bc I got sepsis this past week. Any other RLWD survivors with neurogenic bladders in here that have survived sepsis?

Wondering…..🤔
Shawzy

08/16/2026

In 2019 Kana Covington, Sankirtana and Shawzy Amara participate in an educational video for students at JABSO Hawai'i, https://jabsom.hawaii.edu sharing their experience and insights for future doctors. Currently, there is 0 research being done on Rat Lungworm Disease Survivors during the inital acute infection or post deworming. Long-term damage to the brain, central nervous system, spinal cord, autonomic nervous system and overall mental state are ongoing symptoms with no resolutions for severe cases. As you age symptoms can and do get worse. Stay safe and DO NOT EVER get this disease because your life and body will change forever. One unchecked salad or smoothie is not worth it.

https://youtu.be/-1Z83by0DM0?si=LUtHJAhepGi9kgCr

08/15/2026

Every year the media reports on Sam Ballarad and how he tragically suffered and died from Rat Lungworm Disease (RLWD). It reminds me that there is still a lack of research and focus on this disease and the survivors that live with daily pain, suffering unresolved symptoms such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), spinal cord damage, neurogenic bladders, neurogenic intestines, neuropathy, fatigue, autoimmune issues and many other unxplained issues related to a damaged Central Nervous System.
Stay Safe!

Teens dared pal to eat a slug and it ended with harrowing death
A 19-year-old player accepted a dare that led him into a coma for 420 days
By
Maria Letícia Gomes GAU Writer
07:00, 13 Aug 2026

"A 19-year-old rugby player from Sydney, described by those close to him as 'rough-and-tumble', suffered devastating consequences after accepting a dare from his friends....The infection is typically contracted by accidentally consuming infected slugs, snails, or unwashed raw produce carrying the parasite's larvae, which can migrate to the brain and trigger painful inflammation....For Sam, the infection provoked acute inflammation surrounding his brain and spinal cord, plunging him into a coma that persisted for an astonishing 420 days....Upon regaining consciousness, Sam was left paralyzed, in a wheelchair and unable to eat food without a feeding tube. He needed constant care for the remainder of his life, experienced frequent seizures, and lost the ability to control his own body temperature....Tragically, eight years after eating the slug, Sam Ballard passed away in November 2018, aged 27. His final words to his mother were simply "I love you."

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/teens-dared-pal-eat-slug-34444197?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button -readmore-target

08/10/2026

The math never maths in all these news articles regarding Rat Lungworm Disease cases. Who is actually counting cases in the USA? Where are these ignorant reporters getting this fake news from and why are they repeating it? The CDC does not count all cases and neither does every states Department of Health because, this disease is classified as a non-reportable disease. No one is counting all cases mild-sever and all deaths. So where are all these fake numbers coming from and why are they perpetuated as true in the media? Lies. Someone needs to start counting ALL cases. If this disease wasn't serious then it would not keep appearing in the news. Don't believe the lies. Stay safe.

One scientist's 1933 rat lungworm discovery opened the door to understanding a public health threat
Sun, August 9, 2026

"Roughly 7,000 human cases have been recorded worldwide, according to A-Z Animals, and about 10 are identified each year in the U.S., mostly in Hawai'i."

Symptoms of infection in humans can start with headache, fever, fatigue, neck pain, numbness, and sensitivity to light.

08/07/2026

Maybe skip the raw monitor tongue and gall bladder next time. Stay safe!

Neuroangiostrongyliasis after consumption of the monitor lizard

et al Nitin Gupta
QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 119, Issue 6, June 2026

https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article-abstract/119/6/500/8470554

08/07/2026

Haiku residents urge more action against coquis
By
Gary Kubota
August 6, 2026

"The invasive species can also harbor parasites that cause rat lungworm disease, a rare infection that primarily affects the brain and spinal cord. On parts of the Big Island, including Hilo, some people wear ear plugs to deaden the frogs' shrill sound.

As Maui Invasive Species Committee staffing and resources have declined, some Haiku residents worry the island's long-running effort to contain invasive coqui frogs is losing ground."

https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2026/08/haiku-residents-urge-more-action-against-coquis/

08/07/2026

Check out the recorded You Tube webinar about “The Home Grown Puna Food Movement” hosted by Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian

A food-for-thought (and action!) discussion about the homegrown foo...

08/02/2026

The Tiny Snails and Slugs That Can Turn Rat Lungworm into a Human Health Risk
Russ Aguilar
By Russ Aguilar
Published August 1, 2026

"Rat lungworm never intends to infect humans, and that biological wrong-turn is precisely what makes the infection so devastating. The most common way people pick up this parasite is not from eating snails. It is something nearly everyone does without a second thought..... Humans report initial symptoms including neck pain, numbness, light sensitivity, headache, fever, fatigue, and an immune response resembling an allergic reaction. If left untreated, an infection can lead to eosinophilic meningitis. Severe cases can lead to loss of coordination, paralysis, coma, disability, and death."

https://a-z-animals.com/articles/the-tiny-snails-and-slugs-that-can-turn-rat-lungworm-into-a-human-health-risk/

07/31/2026

Here is another great resource for Rat Lungworm Disease information brought to you by Scott Paul Crawford on Maui. Support all Farmers and keep yourself and your family safe. Education is the ONLY prevention to help stop rat lungworm disease.

Overview What Is Rat Lungworm Disease & How is it spread? Rat lungworm disease is caused by a parasite nematode called Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The adult form of the parasite is found only in rodents. Infected rats pass larvae of the parasite in their f***s. Snails and slugs get infected by inge...