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Hey there,
Ever eaten a salad on vacation and thought, “Wow. I’m crushing health.”
Meanwhile a parasite is like, “Same. I’m crushing you.”
Let’s talk about the parasite that doesn’t come at you directly.
It uses a middleman.
And that middleman?
🐌 Snails (and slugs).
Not the cutest wingman, but effective.
Here’s the spring plot twist: this one gets more relevant when the weather warms up, gardens wake up, and everybody suddenly becomes a raw-veggie person again.
Meet the bug: rat lungworm (yes, that’s the name)
The star of today’s episode is rat lungworm, a parasite (a nematode) best known for causing angiostrongyliasis in humans.
The life cycle reads like a crime show:
Rats carry the adult worms and shed larvae in their poop
Snails/slugs eat the poop (gross, but on brand) and become the carrier
Humans get exposed by accidentally ingesting tiny snails/slugs or their slime on food
The parasite can’t complete its normal life cycle in humans… so it wanders and can cause serious issues in some cases
It’s not “common,” but it’s real—and it spikes in relevance with spring habits.
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How people actually get exposed (it’s rarely dramatic)
You don’t have to chomp a snail like it’s a challenge.
The more realistic routes:
🥗 Unwashed leafy greens (especially home gardens, CSA boxes, farmers markets)
🌿 Fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, parsley—lots of nooks for tiny hitchhikers)
🍓 Produce with crevices (berries, lettuce heads, cabbage, broccoli)
🧃 Fresh juice / smoothie bars using bulk greens (if wash steps are sloppy)
✈️ Travel + adventurous eating: raw veg plates, street salads, garnish-heavy dishes, “fresh” anything rinsed with questionable water
🐌 Kids being kids: touching snails/slugs, then eating snacks like raccoons
The symptoms people don’t connect (because they start weird)
When it causes problems, people may report:
headache that doesn’t feel like their normal headache
neck stiffness
tingling or weird nerve-y sensations
nausea/vomiting
fatigue that feels off
Lots of things can cause those symptoms. If someone has severe headache/neck stiffness or neurological symptoms, that’s a real medical situation—don’t “wait it out” and don’t self-treat.
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Your “spring reset” should include friction
Not a cleanse. Not a detox tea.
Just friction—small daily habits that reduce exposure.
Separate + soak leafy greens: pull apart leaves, soak, agitate, then rinse well
Actually inspect herbs: especially curly stuff (cilantro/parsley)
Wash produce even if it’s “pre-washed” (especially if you’re traveling or buying from open-air markets)
Trim outer leaves of lettuce/cabbage when possible
Hands before snacks if you’ve been gardening, hiking, or pet-wrangling
If you’re getting “mystery” headaches or stomach weirdness after a stretch of heavy raw greens + travel + garden time… don’t brush it off. Patterns matter.
—Gabi & Bea