Rat lungworm disease remains a viable threat to Hawaii residents.
The number of confirmed cases across the state in 2018 has risen to three after the Department of Health verified two more infections via lab tests conducted in March. There were 18 laboratory confirmed cases of rat lungworm disease in Hawaii in 2017.
This year’s first victim was an adult resident of West Hawaii. More recently, an adult resident of Maui was diagnosed after falling ill in mid-February, the department said in a press release Wednesday. The DOH believes the infection originated on Maui, but the resident traveled to Oahu and Hawaii Island during the potential period of infection.
A third victim, an adolescent visiting Hawaii Island from New York state, was hospitalized on the mainland in late January and subsequently diagnosed with rat lungworm disease in March. DOH and local partners have been in contact with medical professionals and public health employees in New York since the diagnosis, according to the release.
Investigation into the youth’s infection have not turned up a clear infection risk and the source remains unknown.
“These recent cases are a reminder that the risk of rat lungworm disease exists statewide and we all need to take precautions to prevent infection,” said Dr. Sarah Park, DOH’s state epidemiologist. “We can all do our part to eliminate risks around our homes, gardens, and farms by controlling rats, slugs and snails, especially during the rainy season. Inspecting and thoroughly washing produce under clean, running water can go a long way in preventing rat lungworm disease.”
People contract rat lungworm disease by ingesting a snails or slugs infested with a parasitic roundworm that has “debilitating effects” on the brain and spinal cord. It is also thought the parasite may live for a time in the slime trails of snails or slugs and present the risk of infection in that way.
Symptoms of rat lungworm disease vary but often include bad headaches and neck stiffness. Some serious cases of the disease involve neurological problems, severe pain and long-term disability, according to the release.
More information on rat lungworm disease can be found at the DOH website, as well as websites for the state Department of Agriculture, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, or the Centers for Disease Control.