US: Disease-carrying Snails The Size Of Rats Invade Town In Florida, Force People Into Quarantine

A town in Florida, U.S., has been sent into quarantine, thanks to a growing population of invasive, disease-carrying giant snails.?The species, which are native to Africa, have been discovered in an area in Florida, with authorities issuing alerts to residents.??

Snails invade county in Florida?

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed there were giant African land snails in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County on June 23.? ?

Reuters

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed there were giant African land snails in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County on June 23.?

"FDACS will treat properties with a metaldehyde-based molluscicide (snail bait). The treatment is labelled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for residential use," said the department on its website.??

Snails force people into quarantine?

Following FDACS confirmation, the town was quarantined the following day.

USGS

The quarantine, however, isn't like the one associated with COVID-19. In this case,?locals were banned from moving plants, soil, debris, yard waste, compost and building materials located outside the designated zone.??

Health officials cautioned residents not to handle the snails without proper protective gear.??

Not only to humans, the snail is also harmful to the environment with its love for plants and taste for concrete.

The snail reproduces about 1,200 eggs in a single year, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) says. They can grow up to eight inches in length and nearly five inches in diameter —?"about the size of an average adult fist,"?the department says.??

Massimiliano Finzi/Shutterstock

The USDA said that the last time these snails were spotted, it took almost a decade and a million dollars to get rid of them.?

"Property owners inside the treatment area will be notified in person or by posted notice at least 24 hours in advance of the planned pesticide treatment," said FDACS.

FDACS is working tirelessly in the hopes of eradicating the pests. They will bait certain areas with a poison that impedes their ability to create mucus and kills them within a few days.

These types of snails are illegal to distribute, sell, and ship across the US.?

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