The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed that African land snails (Lisakatina Vulica) which made it necessary to introduce quarantine.
These snails are extremely dangerous because they carry the nematodes that cause leukorrhoea, the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin.
The parasite is usually found in the pulmonary arteries of rats, which is why it is called mouse lung.
Giant African land snails lay up to 2,500 eggs per year (up to 400 eggs at a time), which makes their numbers extremely difficult to control. The natural range of this species covers East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania), where it was transported by humans in tropical and subtropical regions around the world since at least 1800.
FDACS spokeswoman Christina Chetty told CNN that the snail ended up in Pasco County as a result of the illegal trade in exotic animals. snail farm Lisakatina Vulica It’s illegal in the US, and it doesn’t stop breeders.
After being released into the wild, the snail has excellent conditions for survival in the United States, and it can feed on more than 500 species of plants. The source of calcium for him is the facade paint he wipes.
Chetty said the FDACS will spend the next three years completely eradicating Pasco County snail populations with pesticides. “It’s a long process,” Chetty said.
This isn’t the first time Florida has faced an infestation of giant snails. In 2011, a cluster of these pests was also discovered in Miami-Dade County. It wasn’t completely eradicated until ten years later.
