Potentially Deadly Parasite Discovered In The US. This Is What It Looks Like And What It Can Do To You If You Ever See It
By Dreamer
A parasite that can be fatal in some cases has been discovered in Florida, and authorities are now undergoing an investigation on how they can stop this parasite from spreading in other areas. Right now it has been reported in the Miami, Florida area but has spread across the southwestern coast.
We have confirmation that is traveled to Cape Coral, where a man found one of the worms inside of a flowerpot.
"They're a dark worm with a dorsal orange stripe down the center of their back," agriculture agent Roy Beckford said, according to WFTX.
Researchers say the worms arrived in Florida along with plants and produce that were shipped from the South Pacific.
"I first saw one in my driveway ... about a year ago in June, and I happened to do a little research and got in touch with a researcher in Paris at the Museum of Natural History and he said 'Wow, haven't seen any that far north,'" environmental scientist Christopher McVoy told WPEC.
The worm can infect rats and mice, which can then pass the infection on to humans. This in turn can lead to serious diseases of the brain and spinal cord, including meningitis.
"If you have long worms, basically you start this horrible coughing," Beckford said. "It's a parasite in your lungs that needs to be treated."
Simply coming in contact with one of these worms is dangerous.
"It can actually cause problems on your skin because it actually vomits up this caustic substance that can cause problems," Beckford said.
The flatworm, properly called Platydemus manokwari, is fairly large, averaging between 40-65 millimeters (1.4 to 3.5 inches) in length and about four to seven millimeters (o.2 to 0.3 inches) in width.
Both ends of the worm come to a point, with the head being more pointed than the tail, with two eyes right on the tip of the head.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platydemus
While the flatworm is a threat to human health, it is an even bigger threat to the ecosystem. They have the capacity to destroy small creatures like lizards and snails, as well as trees and other vegetation.
"Bear in mind we're not just talking about trees," Beckford told WFTX. "We're talking about shrubs and other plants that grow in our environments here."
Anyone who spots one of these worms is encouraged to take pictures and contact authorities.
source: digitaljournal.com/
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