Slugs eaten as dare nearly kills man

I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Random Australian slug. Nom nom, no no!

Australian Man Fights For Life After Eating Slugs On Dare
May 13, 2010 8:09 a.m. | David Goodhue – AHN News Reporter | www.allheadlinenews.com

Sydney, Australia (AHN) – A young man in Australia learned the hard way that it’s not a good idea to eat raw slugs, even if your friends dare you.

The 21-year-old man from Sydney is now fighting for his life because of a rare form of meningitis caused by a parasite called rat lungworm. Found in rodent feces, it is often eaten by snails and slugs, according to the New South Wales health department.

A relative told the Sydney Morning Herald that the man, who has not been identified, had been in the hospital fighting the illness for almost a month.

The man reportedly ate two slugs from a garden on a dare from friends.

The incident prompted the health department to release a statement this week warning people not to eat raw slugs and snails–or any other uncooked animals–and to thoroughly wash their hands after touching them.

Health department director Dr. Jeremy McAnulty said in a statement that most people fully recover from rat lungworm without treatment because humans are not a natural host for the parasite, and it typically cannot survive.