{"id":155146,"date":"2022-07-04T04:45:42","date_gmt":"2022-07-04T08:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=155146"},"modified":"2022-07-04T07:20:25","modified_gmt":"2022-07-04T11:20:25","slug":"dangerous-giant-african-snails-in-florida-spark-quarantines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dangerous-giant-african-snails-in-florida-spark-quarantines\/","title":{"rendered":"Dangerous giant African snails in Florida spark quarantines"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/div>

Escar-whoa!<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

The alarming discovery of giant African snails \u2014 which can stretch up to 8 inches long \u2014 has sparked\u00a0concern and quarantines in a Florida county.<\/a><\/p>\n

The state\u2019s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs confirmed the presence of the mammoth mollusks in Pasco County this week and warned residents to keep their distance.<\/p>

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The snails carry the frightfully named rat lungworm parasite that can induce meningitis in humans, officials cautioned.<\/p>

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The invasive snails are also capable of ravaging vegetation and are known to dine on more than 500 types of plants.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese snails could be devastating to Florida agriculture and natural areas as they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments,\u201d according to FDACS<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
\"The<\/a>
The snails carry a parasite that could cause meningitis in humans.<\/figcaption>
AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The snails can also ravage vegetation.<\/figcaption>
FOX 13 Tampa Bay<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Health officials cautioned residents not to handle the snails without proper protective gear.<\/p>\n

Hoping to eradicate the pests, FDACS will bait certain areas with a poison that impedes their ability to create mucus and kills them within a few days.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

The initial discovery was made by a gardener in Pasco County, which responded with a quarantine order for a limited area.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
\"The<\/a>
The snails were first noticed by a local gardener.<\/figcaption>
FOX 13 Tampa Bay<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yard waste and building materials cannot be removed from the impacted zone without permission from state authorities.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Escar-whoa! The alarming discovery of giant African snails \u2014 which can stretch up to 8 inches long \u2014 has sparked\u00a0concern and quarantines in a Florida county. The state\u2019s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs confirmed the presence of the mammoth mollusks in Pasco County this week and warned residents to keep their distance. The snails […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":155147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-155146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-regional"],"yoast_head":"\nDangerous giant African snails in Florida spark quarantines - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dangerous-giant-african-snails-in-florida-spark-quarantines\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dangerous giant African snails in Florida spark quarantines\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Escar-whoa! The alarming discovery of giant African snails \u2014 which can stretch up to 8 inches long \u2014 has sparked\u00a0concern and quarantines in a Florida county. The state\u2019s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs confirmed the presence of the mammoth mollusks in Pasco County this week and warned residents to keep their distance. 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