Giant land snail slime threatens human health, says Swiss study
The first worldwide study of the giant land snail, which has become a popular pet, has revealed that the invasive species poses a serious threat to human health. The researchers from the University of Lausanne are calling for restrictions on the purchase of land snails as pets.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Growing to over 20 centimetres in length, the giant land snail is far from harmless beneath its “friendly” gastropod exterior.
“Social networks are full of photos of people putting the animal in contact with their skin, or even their mouth. The mollusk’s slime is supposed to be beneficial for the epidermis, when in fact it is a vector for diseases such as rat lungworm, which can cause a form of meningitis in humans,” warns Cleo Bertelsmeier, associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University of Lausanne (UNIL), quoted in a press release on Thursday.
Consumption of these invertebrates is also strongly discouraged, adds the director of the study published last Tuesday in the journal “Parasites & Vectors”. Considered a particularly problematic invasive species, the giant land snail, native to East Africa, is voracious and reproduces very quickly, posing a threat to agricultural areas and biodiversity.
Quantifying the risks
The Lausanne-based research group has carried out the first worldwide study to simultaneously quantify the risks of invasion and disease transmission associated with trading this species as a pet. The biologists used data from social networks to establish a global map of the areas where the animal is found in captivity, and to assess the at-risk behaviours of individuals.
“When visiting social networks, we quickly realised that there are many owners of giant pet snails (and they are mainly European), and that many don’t seem to be aware of the health risks to which they expose themselves, or their children, when they handle these snails, for example by putting them on their face,” comments Jérôme Gippet, postdoctoral fellow in Bertelsmeier’s team and lead author of the article.
There is an urgent need to raise public awareness of the health risks associated with the giant land snail, both in tropical countries and in Europe. Its trade and possession must be regulated at international level, the researchers conclude.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
How Switzerland is battling invasive species
This content was published on
Switzerland has waged war on invasive species. The fight is starting to bear fruit, but private citizens have to lend a hand.
Lake invaders: alien shellfish trouble Swiss waters
This content was published on
Switzerland may be landlocked, but that doesn’t keep foreign marine life from threatening its ecosystems. Could eating them be part of the solution?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.