DADADEL
In 2018, a young man named Sam Ballard tragically passed away, years after a dare to eat a slug took a devastating turn. The dare, made by friends in 2010, led to a fatal parasitic infection, highlighting the serious risks of slug-related parasites.
In 2010, 19-year-old Sam Ballard from Sydney, Australia, was enjoying a casual evening with friends. As they shared a bottle of wine, the mood shifted when a slug appeared. “We were having a red wine night, trying to act grown-up, and a slug crawled by,” recalls his friend Jimmy. “The conversation came up, ‘should I eat it?’ and Sam went for it.”
While consuming slugs may lead to nothing more than mild stomach upset for some, Ballard’s experience was far more severe. The once-promising rugby player faced life-altering complications, losing the ability to walk and enduring a series of health crises that would ultimately claim his life.
Ballard contracted a parasite known as rat lungworm, commonly found in slugs. His first symptoms were severe weakness and pain in his legs, but his condition quickly worsened. He developed meningitis and fell into a coma that lasted 420 days, putting his life in grave danger.
When Sam finally woke from the coma, his life had changed irrevocably. The infection had spread to his brain, leaving him paralyzed. Simple tasks such as eating or using the restroom became impossible without assistance, and he required round-the-clock care. His mother, Katie Ballard, devoted herself to his care until he died in 2018 at age 29. Sam passed away surrounded by loved ones, expressing his love for his mother just before he died.
Despite the tragic outcome, Katie Ballard does not hold Sam’s friends accountable for the incident. She recognizes that friends sometimes encourage each other to take part in risky dares. Sam’s story serves as a cautionary tale, urging others to avoid eating or handling slugs. Contact with slugs should be followed by proper handwashing to prevent any potential infection from parasites.
To reduce the risk of contracting parasites like rat lungworm, it’s essential to avoid eating raw or undercooked mollusks and to thoroughly inspect produce for small slugs that may be hidden. Other diseases linked to slugs include angiostrongyliasis, paragonimiasis, and fascioliasis, which can severely damage organs such as the brain, intestines, and biliary tract. These infections can also cause immune system disorders and infertility.
Rat lungworm, also called Angiostrongylus cantonensis (AC) infection, is the leading cause of eosinophilic meningitis, a type of meningitis that affects white blood cells. According to the CDC, parasitic meningitis is less common than bacterial or viral forms but still poses serious risks. The lifecycle of rat lungworm is complex, involving transmission through rodents, whose droppings are eaten by slugs. Humans and animals can then contract the parasite through contact with infected slugs or their slime trails.
