A Florida county has just been quarantined to stop the spread of a voracious, noxious and dangerous species of snail to humans.
A portion of Southeast Florida just went into quarantine. The reason ? Of giant African snails breed in Broward County. Since this Tuesday, June 20, 2023, it is therefore forbidden to transport these snails, plants, compost and garden waste inside and outside the quarantine zone without the consent of the authorities. authorities. They are trying to get rid of this snail, which can be up to 20 centimeters in size and is considered harmful to agriculture.
Because he is voracious: he can eat at least 500 different types of plants. And when there’s no more food It attacks facade paints, plastic and even traffic signsnote Le figaro.
To top it off, giant African snails can be Carrier of a parasite that can cause meningitis, the rat lungworm. “People can become infected if they come into contact with the snail or its slime, for example by eating unwashed vegetables or products that one of the snails has touched,” he reports Actu.fr.
In 2011, another Florida county was infested with this species. It had taken ten years to eradicate it.