Customs officials at an American airport got more than they bargained for when they found 67 live giant Snails (African Giant Snail). The snails were confiscated July 1 and a sample was sent the next day to a federal mollusk specialist in Washington, D.C., who identified them as a prohibited species. The U.S. Department of Agriculture incinerated the snails after they were inspected.
Those were the words used to describe the event that happened on 1st July, 2014. Customs officers in the United States of America found 67 live giant snails in a passenger’s luggage. They later confiscated and burned those snails because they have been banned in the United States.
Why The United States Govt. Banned African Giant Snails
The African giant land snails (Archachatina marginata, Achatina achatina and their family members) are delicacies in many African nations, especially the West African countries. So, it would come as a surprise that some countries could see them as a threat to their own survival. If you are interested in knowing the reasons why the the US Government banned the African snails, then you should read on.
1. They are carriers of a Parasitic Nematode
The African snails carry a parasitic nematode that can be a vector for meningitis in humans. The snail acts as an intermediate host between the parasite and its natural final host in rodents. Unless we eat snails raw or undercooked, one should not be in danger of these nematodes and ultimately, meningitis.
In places where the snails are eaten, they are usually well cooked and even fried. Hence, the danger of the nematodes causing diseases in eaters of these snails is not even there.