Parasitic Brain Disease Causing Massive Warning For New Yorkers

A popular destination for New Yorkers is now the “epicenter” of a terrifying brain parasite. The symptoms are worse than you might expect.

A vacation hotspot beloved by New Yorkers is now "epicenter" of a parasitic brain disease.

Warning To All New Yorkers Heading Here

Rob Cowie, UH Manoa

According to the Independent, Hawaii has become the "epicenter" of Rat lungworm disease, a parasitic disease.

"Rat lungworm disease is endemic in the State of Hawaiʻi. Human cases and infected intermediate hosts (snails and slugs) have been identified on all of the islands," the Hawaii health department states.

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The parasitic disease mostly impacts the brain and spinal cords of humans.

Jaynee Kim, Bishop Museum, Hawaii Health

Symptoms To Watch For

Typical symptoms include headaches, stiff neck, fever, nausea and vomiting. But it can sometimes cause more severe neurological issues like paralysis, seizures, and confusion.

Below are symptoms that come on, typically within a few hours or days

Nausea with/without vomiting
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Lethargy (tiredness) and insomnia (inability to sleep)
Fever
Cough
Pruritus (itching) with/without rash
Hypersensitivity to touch including burning pain with itchiness
Severe and constant headache

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Within a few days to weeks the symptoms can progress to:

Muscle pain, neck stiffness
Paresthesia and hyperesthesia, frequently described as itching, pain, tingling,
crawling or burning sensations
Diplopia (double vision)
Photophobia (light sensitivity)
Limb weakness
Bowel or bladder dysfunction
Seizures

Early diagnosis and treatment are important, officials stress.

How Humans Get Infected

health.hawaii.gov

The disease is carried bat rats. Rats pass the disease from its feces.

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Humans can become infected by accidentally ingesting the parasite. This can happen by eating raw or undercooked snails or slugs that have consumed rat feces containing the parasite, or by consuming contaminated produce that haven't been properly washed.

The Official U.S. Government 'Do Not Travel' List

Traveling to unique and exotic places rather than the usual tourist traps can be quite an adventure. However, it's crucial to research your destination thoroughly.

While every trip comes with some degree of risk, requiring you to mind your surroundings and take some precautions, there are some places you just shouldn't visit, as they are not worth the risk.

The United States government has a convenient website that helps by listing travel advisories they have in place for countries all over the world, ranking the risk from Level 1 through Level 4.

If a country is issued a Level 4 advisory, you should NOT travel there. As of November 2024, the countries below are on the 'Do Not Travel' list.

Gallery Credit: David Drew