title: Effects of washing produce contaminated with the snail and slug hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis with three common household solutions.
abstract: The emerging infectious disease angiostrongyliasis (rat lungworm disease) is caused by ingesting snails and slugs infected by the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The definitive hosts of A. cantonensis are rats and the obligatory intermediate hosts are slugs and snails. Many cases result from accidentally ingesting infected snails or slugs on produce (eg, lettuce). This study assessed three readily available household products as washing solutions for removing snails and slugs from produce (romaine lettuce) to lower the probability of accidentally ingesting them. The solutions were acetic acid (vinegar), sodium hypochlorite (bleach), and sodium chloride (domestic salt). Snail and slug species known to be intermediate hosts and that are common in the Hawaiian Islands were used in the experiments: the alien snail Succinea tenella, the alien semi-slug Parmarion martensi, and the alien slugs Veronicella cubensis and Deroceras laeve. None of the products was any more effective than washing and rinsing with tap water alone. Most snails and slugs were removed after treatment but some remained on the lettuce even after washing and rinsing the produce. Only washing, rinsing, and then rinsing each leaf individually resulted in complete removal of all snails and slugs. The study did not address removal of any remaining slime left by the snails and slugs, nor did it address killing of worms.
authors.affiliation: Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawa'i, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
authors.forename: Norine W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Cowie
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid; D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis; D000818:Animals; D003902:Detergents; D016266:Food Parasitology; D006801:Humans; D018545:Lactuca / Q000469:parasitology*; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D019342:Acetic Acid
keywords: Angiostrongyliasis; Eosinophilic meningitis; Food safety; Hawaii; Infectious disease; Lettuce; Postharvest produce; Rat lungworm
references.citation: Pac Health Dialog. 2001 Mar;8(1):176-82
references.pmid: 12017820
references.citation: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Oct;85(4):685-90
references.pmid: 21976573
references.citation: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2003 Mar;68(3):281-5
references.pmid: 12685630
references.citation: Semin Neurol. 1993 Jun;13(2):161-8
references.pmid: 8356350
references.citation: Hawaii J Med Public Health. 2013 Jun;72(6 Suppl 2):70-4
references.pmid: 23901388
references.citation: Jpn J Infect Dis. 2004 Aug;57(4):184-6
references.pmid: 15329455
references.citation: Acta Trop. 2001 Jan 15;78(1):17-21
references.pmid: 11164746
references.citation: Emerg Infect Dis. 1995 Jan-Mar;1(1):7-15
references.pmid: 8903148
references.citation: Clin Microbiol Rev. 2009 Apr;22(2):322-48, Table of Contents
references.pmid: 19366917
references.citation: Hawaii J Med Public Health. 2013 Jun;72(6 Suppl 2):83-6
references.pmid: 23901391
references.citation: Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2012 Oct;185(2):174-6
references.pmid: 22902292
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 1969 Mar;89(3):331-44
references.pmid: 5773425
references.citation: Commun Dis Intell. 1997 Apr 3;21(7):89-93
references.pmid: 9115126
references.citation: Emerg Infect Dis. 2005 Dec;11(12):1977-8
references.pmid: 16485498
references.citation: Acta Trop. 2010 Mar;113(3):245-7
references.pmid: 19931504
references.citation: Hawaii J Med Public Health. 2013 Jun;72(6 Suppl 2):41-5
references.pmid: 23901383
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Mar;73(5):1415-9
references.pmid: 17194836
references.citation: Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Nov;13(11):1675-80
references.pmid: 18217550
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1995 Apr 20;332(16):1105-6
references.pmid: 7898546