In 2010, 19-year-old Sam Ballard from Sydney, Australia, was spending time with his friends while enjoying a bottle of wine when an unusual incident occurred. “We were sitting, having a bit of a red wine appreciation night, trying to act as grown-ups and a slug came crawling across,” Sam’s friend Jimmy recalls. “The conversation came, ‘should I eat it?’ [and] off Sam went.”
Deadly Effects of Slugs
While eating slugs may lead to nothing more than an upset stomach for some, this was not the case for Ballard. Unfortunately, his experience resulted in severe and life-altering repercussions. The promising rugby player lost his ability to walk and, consequently, his passion for the sport. Over the course of a decade, he faced a series of complications that ultimately led to his untimely death.
Sam became infected with a parasite called rat lungworm, the most common parasite linked to slugs. Initially, he experienced extreme weakness and pain in his legs. However, it soon became clear that his health was in serious jeopardy. Eventually, he developed meningitis and fell into a coma for 420 days.
When Ballard finally awakened, he discovered that his life would never return to normal. The parasite associated with slugs had caused an infection that spread to his brain, resulting in paralysis. He lost his ability to walk, and even basic tasks like using the restroom or eating became impossible without assistance. His devoted mother, Katie Ballard, cared for him tirelessly, providing 24-hour support until 2018, when he tragically passed away at the age of 29. He died surrounded by friends and family and told his mom he loved her just before his passing.
Avoiding the Same Fate
Surprisingly, Katie does not hold his friends accountable for the incident and seems to recognize that friends sometimes encourage one another to engage in “peculiar acts.” Sam’s experience is one that will likely remain in his friends’ memories for a long time. Fortunately, such situations are often preventable. The simplest way is to refrain from eating or licking slugs, even to fulfill a dare. Additionally, if you come into contact with slugs, it is important to avoid touching your face and, most crucially, your mouth. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and promptly. Another straightforward way to prevent parasitic slug encounters is to learn about them, noting that they can vary in size and may be small enough to hide in produce.
Thus, avoiding any raw or undercooked mollusks and carefully inspecting fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of Rat lungworm and other illnesses linked to slugs. Other examples include angiostrongyliasis, paragonimiasis, and fascioliasis. Moreover, the parasitic diseases transmitted by slugs can have severe negative effects on major organs, including the brain, biliary tract, and intestines. In some cases, they may lead to death, an overactive immune system, and infertility.
Understanding the Culprit
Rat lungworm, also known as AC infection, is recognized by the CDC as “the most common infectious cause of eosinophilic meningitis.” This form of meningitis affects white blood cells. The CDC categorizes five types of meningitis, with parasitic meningitis being less prevalent than bacterial or viral forms. The life cycle of the rat lungworm is both grotesque and intriguing. Initially, the rat lungworm is transmitted through rodents, which carry the adult worm and excrete immature worms in their feces. Subsequently, mollusks become infected when they consume rodent droppings. Finally, humans or other animals can contract the infection by coming into contact with the infected slug or its slime trail.