The parasite can be contracted by eating contaminated produce and, in rare cases, is fatal.
, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is also possible for individuals to experience no symptoms for the first few weeks of infection, followed by neurological symptoms later down the line.
Photo of a mature rat lungworm. At this stage, the parasite can be passed from infected slugs, snails and contaminated produce to humans.In most cases, Gottdenker said the symptoms last for between two and eight weeks, although they can last much longer. Children may be particularly vulnerable, experiencing more pronounced fevers, irritability, drowsiness and lethargy, stomach problems and muscle twitching.
While this is a fairly small number of confirmed cases, the study demonstrates that the parasite is present in wild populations of rats in Atlanta posing a potential threat to human health.
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