CBP Seizes 15 Giant Land Snails at Houston Airport, Saying These Could Cause a Rare Form of Meningitis

The US Customs and Border Protection announced on Tuesday, July 20, in a news release, that they have intercepted 15 live Giant Land Snails from a passenger's luggage earlier this month in a Houston airport.

According to the CBP, the passenger was traveling from Nigeria and initially only declared dried beef. But she later amended this and declared the 15 live giant snails. Agriculture specialists from the George Bush Intercontinental Airpor said that this type of snail could cause rare forms of meningitis in humans.

Giant Land Snails Seized in Houston Airport

A quarter-pound beef, fresh leaves, and 15 giant land snails were confiscated from a passenger in the Houston airport after agriculture specialists checked her luggage and found these items in three zip-locked bags, CBS News reported.

"Our agriculture specialists remain vigilant in protecting the U.S. from foreign animal and plant disease that could threaten U.S. crop production and livestock industry or be transmitted to humans," Houston CBP port director Shawn Polley said in the news release.

The snails seized from the passenger have been turned over to the US Department of Agriculture. The USDA said that the giant land snail is one of the most damaging snails in the world. These snails can grow up to almost 8 inches in length and 5 inches in diameter, which is as big as an adult human's hand.

These West African native snails can also pose a serious health threat to humans and the environment, the CBP added. More so, they also carry a parasite known as the rat lungworm that can cause rare forms of meningitis in humans.

The CBP agriculture specialists discover 250 pests at US ports of entry and 3,091 materials for quarantine, such as plants, meat, and animal by-products in a typical day. They remind the public that those planning to carry food into the country should honestly declare agricultural items, like fruits and vegetables, plants and cut flowers, meat and animals, or its by-products.

Giant Land Snails: One of the Most Damaging Snails in the World

According to USDA, Giant Land Snails, also known as Giant African Snails (Lissachatina fulica), was first found in southern Florida in the 1960s, which took the government ten years and over $1 million to eradicate. After many decades, the US has seen another surge in 2011, and eradication efforts are still underway today.

It is one of the most damaging snails in the world that affects human health, livestock, the environment, and the ecosystem. they are native in West Africa and attacks fruit crops and plants and are also vectors for rat lungworm that can cause rare forms of meningitis.

The CDC recorded 2,800 cases of such disease caused by Giant Land Snails based on the medical and scientific literature from approximately 30 countries. The health agency believes that the parasite somehow managed to find its way through rats transported on ships and by introducing mollusks in the country, such as the giant African land snails.

Check out more news and information on Snails on Science Times.