As humans have moved around the globe, countless species have hitched a ride. Unfortunately, this has sometimes included parasites capable of spreading deadly diseases.
The small, parasitic rat lungworm has recently been detected in animals in San Diego County, California, an area previously outside its range, the Los Angeles Times reported in early March.
What’s happening?
Rat lungworm, as the name suggests, is a parasite that has been found primarily in rats. It prefers to live in rat lungs but spreads to new hosts through rat feces.
While rats are its preferred host, it can also infect a range of other species, including invertebrates such as freshwater crabs, prawns, snails, and slugs; frogs; and mammals such as dogs, raccoons, and even humans…