Schools or public with snails asked to contact Md. Department of Ag
ANNAPOLIS --- The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is asking school teachers and the public to help in the search for giant African land snails. The Department is assisting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a nationwide call to find and assess the size and location of the population of the snail in the United States. Recently the USDA seized thousands of adults and eggs of this pest in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio schools, pet stores, and swap meets. The snails can be a serious plant pest and a threat to human health. In the United States, giant African land snails are known to be established only in Hawaii, and importation or possession of the pest is a violation of Federal and State plant quarantine regulations. Many people find that large snails make interesting pets, and snails also appear to be popular in classroom situations. Though no snails have been found outside of captivity, Federal and State officials are concerned that there may be a wide presence of giant African land snails in the pet trade and educational institutions. This could lead to releases or escapes from captivity and establishment of a new and troublesome plant pest.
Scientists consider giant African land snails, Achatina fulica and other related species, to be some of the most damaging land snails in the world should they be released into the environment. They are known to eat at least 500 different types of plants, including beans and peas, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. Believed to be East African in origin, these snails have caused extensive damage in tropical and subtropical environments and agricultural systems. Public health concerns surround this type of snail because it is known to carry a parasite that can cause serious diseases in humans, such as eosinophilic meningitis. These diseases can be transferred to humans who eat raw, undercooked infected snail meat or contaminated vegetables. Humans can also be infected by handling live giant African land snails if the snails' secretions contact mucous membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth.
Achatina fulica is one of the largest land snails in the world, growing up to eight inches in length and 4.5 inches in diameter. When full grown, the shell consists of seven to nine whorls (spirals) with a long and greatly swollen body whorl. The brownish shell covers at least half the length of the snail. Each snail can live up to nine years and contains both female and male reproductive organs. After a single mating, each snail can produce 100 - 400 eggs. Typically, a mated adult lays about 1,200 eggs per year.
Snails confiscated by the USDA were being used by in school science projects. Many of the schools received the snails as donations, and were unaware of the potential threat to human health and agriculture. Any schools, education programs, or members of the public that might have this snail are asked to contact MDA immediately at 410-841-5920 (800-492-5590 in Maryland) or USDA at 410-224-3452. Officials with MDA or the USDA will remove the pests from any location and dispose of them properly.
Information about these snails is also available on the USDA APHIS website www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/gasalert.pdf and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/angiostrongylus/factsht_angiostrongylus.htm.