Invasion of African mega snails has quarantined a Florida county – Teach Me Science

A few days ago, the presence of a population of giant African snails was confirmed in the city of New Port Richey, in Pasco County, Florida. This alerted the authorities and the US residents who are now in quarantine, because it is an invasive species potentially dangerous to humans.

It is considered one of the worst snail pests worldwide, both for its devastating effect on crops of a wide variety of species, and for being a transmitter of dangerous diseases for human health. On the other hand, from an ecological point of view, its high voracity produces an ecological imbalance in the ecosystems where it is introduced.

According to a reportthe quarantine began on June 25 and, during it, the inhabitants inside or outside the designated area cannot move any specimen of these snails or items related to them, such as plants and soil, which are their habitat and food source .

In addition, residents were warned that, if they observe any of these animals around their home or nearby, avoid touching them without gloves and contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

This agency is currently conducting the pertinent investigations to determine the number of specimens in the population and carry out eradication measures, which could last for years, due to its high reproductive potential, estimating that one specimen can spawn between 100 and 500 eggs. , which favors its dispersion in an impressive way.

Why are they considered so dangerous?

The eradication of this snail (Achatina fulica), which can measure up to 20 centimeters, is extremely necessary because they represent a significant risk to human health as they are considered a vector of pathogenic agents, capable of transmitting infections to humans. Within these, two species of parasites of the genus stand out. Angyostrongylusnamely, A. cantonensis y A. costaricensis.

They are commonly recognized as rat lungworms and infection in humans causes significant health conditions. A. cantonensis is the cause of meningitis accompanied by invasion in the ocular areas, for its part, A. costaricensis It is the causal agent of abdominal angiostrongyliasis, a syndrome similar to appendicitis with localized inflammation, abdominal pain, vomiting and fever.

Of particular concern in the state of Florida is meningitis caused by A. cantonensis, parasite that has been estimated to circulate in this area.

That’s right, this is not the first time that a situation like this alerts the residents of Florida, mentioned to CNN Christina Chitty, director of public information for FDACS. Apparently there is a record of at least a couple more invasions and eradications of this species, according to the expert “The first detection was in 1969 and it was eradicated in 1975. The most recent eradication of this pest was in 2021 from a detection in 2011 in Miami-Dade County.

But Why, despite multiple eradications, did the invader come back again?

This time it is possibly due to the illegal pet trade, that is, the fault of one or more irresponsible inhabitants. “Giant African land snails are illegal as pets in the United States. But some exotic pet owners still have these invasive pests. If homeowners abandon them in the wild or accidentally lose them, they can quickly become established, feeding on more than 500 different plant species and even consuming house paint and stucco as a source of calcium.” mentioned Chitty.