Man Contracts Scary Sounding Disease From Slug Eating Dare

A Sydney man is in hospital with rat lungworm disease, an extremely rare and potentially fatal form of meningitis, after eating a slug for a dare.

The Age reports that the man is presently in a critical condition in hospital. The disease, which is officially known as eosinophilic meningitis is carried by a parasitic worm that makes its home in the pulmonary artery of the rats (hence the common name – rat lungworm). The parasitic worm also resides in snails and slugs, which is how our unlucky slug eater found himself battling for his life.

While the man’s condition is dire at the time of writing, if he gets over the initial stages of the infection his chances are good. A doctor from NSW Health, reportedly told the ABC that most people recover from the disease.

Doctor Jeremy McAnulty said:

It goes away by itself because the body’s immune system will eventually get rid of it.