Rat Lungworm Disease Angiostrongylus cantonensis – Eosinophilic Meningitis – Wailuku

Parasites are becoming more prevalent everywhere. One of them is the rat lungworm in Hawaii. The Hawaiian version of lungworm (introduced from a Southeast Asian slug) does affect the CNS in some people.

Called WAILUKU, in Hawaii, the disease arises from parasitic worms, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, sometimes ingested inadvertently by eating raw produce that contains a small snail or slug. The parasite can also be left on veggies in the slime trail. Other ways of getting infected can include eating raw or undercooked freshwater prawns, crabs or frogs. Fish do not spread this parasite. It is not passed from one person to another person. The Asian slug is particularly problematic and crawls into people’s drinks and into their houses.

The worms migrate through the human body and usually die after several weeks. Most people recover fully without treatment. But sometimes the larvae migrate into cerebral fluid, causing inflammation in the brain and spinal cord membrane and a form of meningitis, according to a study by the state and CDC published in 2007.

In some cases, rat lungworm disease can cause significant pain and trauma, including paralysis, blindness and death, as occurred in a fatal case in Taiwan in 1944, according to the study.

Patients usually became sick in three days, but one took as long as 48 days.

Symptoms: Some people do not have any symptoms or have mild symptoms, while others have headache, stiff neck, tingling or painful feelings in the skin, low-grade fever, nausea and vomiting. Pain can be so intense that even the slightest touch hurts. At least half the folks talked to that have gotten it, said they honestly felt like they were going to die.

To avoid infection: Do not eat raw or undercooked snails or slugs, andthoroughly wash produce that might have them, especially home-grown produce such as lettuce. If you handle snails or slugs, wear gloves and wash your hands.

Treatment: People usually do not require treatment. The parasite dies over time even without treatment. Even people who develop meningitis usually do not need antibiotics. Sometimes the symptoms of the infection last for several weeks or months while the body’s immune system responds to the dying parasites. The most common types of treatment are for the symptoms of the infection (such as pain medication for headache) rather than for the infection itself. The side effects of the infection need to be treated according to what the side effect is. Of course, since it puts stress on the immune system, anything which will strengthen the immune system will help.

Results of the infection: The infection can create nerve damage and is a form of neuropathy. The symptoms of this are pain, tingling and numbness if the peripheral nerves are involved, balance problems and muscle weakness if the motor nerves are involved, problems with vision if the optic nerves are involved.

What to do for nerve damage problems?

Treatment for Neuropathy

There are many medications, and other remedies that can bring you relief, you can read about them in this article Neuropathy Treatment

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What can you do?

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Lasting Relief

None of the various neuropathy treatments will build healthy nerves. You can cover up the symptoms and you can increase circulation and you can make a person feel less pain, etc., but if you build healthy nerves, there will not be any symptoms (healthy nerves don’t hurt, tingle, burn, are not numb, etc.) and the relief will be lasting.

Building Healthy Nerves*

Healthy sensory nerves mean that they are not painful. Healthy nerves means that they communicate and don’t send wrong signals such as burning, hot and cold, tingling when there is no reason for it. Healthy motor nerves mean that they relay messages from the brain to the muscle so that they move correctly. Nerves need to be healthy to function properly.

The body needs specific nutrients (vitamins) to be able to build healthy nerves.

It may not give immediate relief (although many do feel changes in the first week) as the vitamins are working at a cellular level, but it does address the actual problem, builds healthy nerves and brings lasting relief.

(For temporary relief while building healthy nerves, go to Pain Relief Formula)

What can be done for lasting relief?

Find out how to Build Healthy Nerves

For a Testimonial About Someone who used a Nerve Support Formula for Rat Lungworm to build healthy nerves.

*Studies & Research on Nerve Health

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