A parasitic worm that may affect the human brain and result in coma and even death is spreading within the Southeastern United States.

A latest study, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), identified the presence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, commonly often called rat lungworm, in dead wild brown rats at a zoo in Atlanta from 2019 to 2022. The scientists identified the parasite in 4 out of seven cases. They couldn’t confirm the its presence within the remaining three cases as a result of insufficient sample quality and DNA degeneration.

The findings raise concerns about potential threats to humans and other animals, each domestic and captive ones. Nevertheless, no human cases were reported to this point from the region of late.

In humans, the rat lungworm causes a rare type of meningitis, often called eosinophilic meningitis (EM) or eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. Parasitic meningitis is way less common than viral and bacterial meningitis.

Here’s what it is advisable to know in regards to the disease:

Causes

Eosinophilic meningitis is caused mainly by three kinds of parasites – Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Baylisascaris procyonis, and Gnathostoma spinigerum.

Normally, these parasites infect animals and never humans. The adult type of A.cantonensis parasite is primarily present in rodents, while its larvae are present in snails and slugs. People can contract an A.cantonensis infection by eating raw or uncooked snails and slugs or through contaminated food.

Parasitic meningitis is usually not transmissible from one person to a different.

Signs and symptoms

People infected with the parasite can have symptoms like headaches, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, photophobia (sensitivity to light) and altered mental status (confusion).

They can also experience tingling or pain of their skin and have a low-grade fever. If left untreated, the infection can result in severe complications corresponding to lack of coordination and muscle control, weakness, paralysis, coma, everlasting disability and even death.

Diagnosis

Based on the CDC, it will probably be diagnosed by testing the blood or cerebrospinal fluid samples. Nevertheless, locating these parasites in cerebrospinal fluid or other body tissues will be difficult.

Along with the laboratory tests, an individual’s travel history or history of exposure, clinical examination and extra medical tests like brain scans may help in diagnosing the condition.

Treatment

There isn’t a specific treatment available for eosinophilic meningitis. Doctors may prescribe pain medication for headaches and to scale back the body’s response to the parasite.

Although the Angiostrongylus cantonensis parasite is often present in parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands, cases have been identified in america as well. Based on the CDC, the parasite likely existed in Georgia before 2019, because it was previously detected in Florida and Alabama. Between 2011 and 2016, six suspected human cases were reported in Texas, Tennessee and Alabama.

Published by Medicaldaily.com