Animals Involved
Cotton rats and other rodents are definitive hosts; slugs are intermediate hosts
Known Distributions
Mainly in Central and South America, Caribbean parasite has also been reported in North America
Probable Means of Spreading
Accidental ingestion of slugs or possibly plants contaminated by their secretions
Clinical Manifestations in People
Acute abdominal angiostrongyliasis; severe pain resembles appendicitis, especially in children; rarely, more insidious disease with liver involvement; complications can include intestinal ischemia, perforation; fatalities possible