Can people get infected by handling infected rats or rat feces?
No. The immature forms of the parasite passed in rat feces cannot infect people. Can people get infected by handling infected snails or slugs – or only by eating them? We don’t know if the slime left by snails and slugs can infect people. (For example, if the slime gets onto hands and into the mouth or nose.) Can giant African land snails be infected with this parasite? Yes. This type of snail, which can grow larger than a person’s hand, is just one of many types that can be infected. But snails can be infected only if they have eaten infected rat feces. We don’t know if any of the giant African land snails in the continental United States are infected. These snails pose a major threat to agriculture because they multiple quickly and have ravenous appetites for plants and produce. It is illegal to own these snails without a special government permit. F or more information about these snails, go to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Web site: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/iss
