thread: Are snails Poisenous?? (sp)

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  1. #1

    Jun 2010
    District Twelve
    8,425

    Hi

    They are not poisonous as such but playing with them can be fatal. They transmit rat lung worm - a parasite which can be deadly, especially to small children.

    Dont let him play with them - especially lick or eat them. If he does, make sure he has a thorough wash.

    Hope this helps!

    n2l

    PS Get him into weeding instead!!

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Add Kazbah on Facebook Follow Kazbah On Twitter

    Sep 2006
    Dandy Ranges ;)
    7,526

    Can dogs catch this parasite? My dog eats snails with great abandon!

  3. #3

    Jun 2010
    District Twelve
    8,425

    Apparently all mammals can Kazbah. I guess it's down to luck whether or not whether or not pooch gets one that is a carrier. It's a toughie knowing how to stop it though!!

    Info below....

    Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the scientific name for the rat lung worm. It cycles between snails and rats, spending time in rats’ brains and lungs. Other hosts can be affected by accidentally eating snails or eating plant matter (including vegetables and fruit) over which heavily infected snails have crawled. This makes organic produce particularly risky and these should always be washed thoroughly before being eaten. The worms migrate to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) where they can cause meningitis or meningo-encephalitis (e.g. in dogs). The worm may migrate along the spinal cord causing paralysis. Many mammalian and bird species can be affected, including humans, but I don’t know of any cases where reptiles have been affected. The species most obviously affected are tawny frogmouths and brushtail possums. Signs associated with larval damage include neurological dysfunctions (e.g., paresis, paralysis, ataxia, blindness) depending on which parts of the central nervous system are affected and how severe the damage is. Humans are affected if they eat raw contaminated vegetables or fruit, infested snails or slugs, or infested intermediate hosts. So don’t eat raw snails or slugs and don’t eat other uncooked animals.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Brisbane
    598

    A little boy my sister worked with at a Special school in Brisbane, ate a snail and he suffered very severe brain damage and then eventually died. It was very sad as she became very close to him.
    So I would say No, don't let him play with them. It is just so hard to watch their EVERY move.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jun 2007
    Where Chaos is fun and plentiful!!!!
    1,883

    Thanks!! No more snails it is!!! Its going to be hard though, he loves the darn things!!! But i would rather know!! Thanks!!! I knew BB would know!!