Florida has declared war against giant snails on Friday.
Officials are now on gearing up for a full-force action, an aggressive extermination campaign, that will help eradicate the Giant African Land Snails parasitizing the entire Florida, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said on Thursday, adding that the community people should also do their share in controlling these giant snail pests.
State agriculture authorities said that they are to involve more canines in this battle, adding that these Labradors can help locate where these giant snails hide.
According to The Guardian, the increasing population of these slimy giant snails was first spotted in Florida by one of the local homeowners in 2011. Putnam said that ever since that year, local authorities have collected over 120,000 giant snails.
"We see a lot of strange things in Florida and this one makes the top of the list," Putnam said. "It is a very serious pest."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these giant snails harbor a dangerous parasite, the rat lungworm (Angostrongylus cantonensis), which is capable of causing serious illnesses as well as long-term infection to humans. In addition, the parasite can cause a form of meningitis, which could be very fatal if left untreated,
Although the threat of the contracting the parasite remains at large, no documented case have been identified not only in Florida but in the entire United States.
Putnam said that Florida has spent $6 million for the campaign of eradicating these snails.
Earlier reports claimed that the giant snails had been introduced to Florida by a cult religion with African and Caribbean roots that used these mollusks as part of their rituals.
As of late, a team of 45 people are tasked to gather these giant snails across Miami. They are oftentimes seen using rakes in the process and seldom get down on their hands and knees to gather the mollusks.
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