Bay Area Newlyweds Contract Brain-Infecting Parasite While Honeymooning in Hawaii

NBC Bay Area ^ | 4/11 | Rhea Mahbubani

[nickcarraway]

A Bay Area couple returned from Hawaii with more than a tan.

Newlyweds Ben Manilla, a journalism professor at UC Berkeley, and Eliza Lape contracted a brain-infecting parasite called rat lungworm disease, according to Hawaii News Now.

Manilla, 64, and Lape, 57, traveled to Maui for their wedding in January. After the ceremony, they spent a fortnight in the area of Hana, Hawaii News Now reported.

Lape began presenting symptoms even before the duo’s return to San Francisco.

"My symptoms started growing to feeling like somebody was taking a hot knife and just stabbing me in different parts of my body," she told Hawaii News Now.

Rat lungworm disease is caused by parasite that impacts rats that then excrete worm larvae. Slugs and snails consume the larvae, which are then passed on to humans who eat raw produce, freshwater shrimp or land crabs that contain traces of the worms, according to Hawaii News Now. The parasitic worms trigger a rare meningitis that affects the brain and spinal cord.

Lape has recovered, but Manilla has spent a month in the ICU and needs to undergo rehabilitation, the TV station said.

"I've had several operations, two pneumonias, a blood clot. Right now, I'm dealing with a kidney issue, all of which was spurred by the ratlung," Manilla said to Hawaii News Now.

The couple is speaking about the experience to help other people take appropriate precautions.

"Had we known we were walking into this kind of environment, we would have had a completely different attitude," Lape told Hawaii News Now. "It really does disrupt and destroy people's lives."

Officials have noted an upswing in rat lungworm disease – at least nine cases recently – on the Big Island and on Maui, Hawaii News Now reported. But health experts believe that number may not include people who went to private clinics, not hospitals. The Department of Health is investigating.

[Mount Athos]

I know you can get bad things from fresh water ponds/waterfalls if you submerge your head

[Bob434]

Further info for folks in or visiting Hawaii- Basically do NOT eat locally grown vegetables, or certain shellfishes or crabs- do NOT handle slugs- keeps kids away from slugs- avoid rat crap- if playing outside- wash thoroughly when you get inside-

So basically you take a vacation in Haweaii and end up working the whole time trying to avoid rat lungworm disease

Tad Bartimus: What You Need To Know About Rat Lungworm Disease

http://www.civilbeat.org/2017/04/tad-bartimus-what-you-need-to-know-about-rat-lungworm-disease/

[editor-surveyor]

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How so ???
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[RummyChick]

Sushi would fit into that category.

[editor-surveyor]

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No, brain-less parasites!
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[Buckeye McFrog]

Tonight's feature on Monster Chiller Horror Theater is The Newlyweds Who Contracted Brain-Infecting Parasite While Honeymooning in Hawaii. Starring Nick Adams, Mamie Van Doren and Don Ho.

[Bob434]

they claim fish don’t carry transmit it- but I still wouldn’t trust it there-

[kaktuskid]

Note to self-when vacationing in Hawaii stick with SPAM

[editor-surveyor]

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My business partner, 20 years ago nearly died from parasites eaten in sushi in a restaurant in Mammoth Lakes, Ca, of all places.
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[Calvin Locke]

Not quite 2000 years. The Romans withdrew from Britain when? About 400 AD? Or was that when the baths stopped being cleaned (by slave/pressed labor, I’m sure)?

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

You ain’t going to believe the diseases being brought into our country to help create our “diversity.” Our old friends TB (only this time incurable.); Dengue fever; leprosy; parasites etc. etc. Have fun!

[Red Badger]

Give or take a century or four.................

[Calvin Locke]

There’s a story about Katherine Hepburn catching some eye thing from doing her own stunt, falling into an Italian fountain, or maybe a Venice canal?

[lastchance]

Some more information on the infections.

http://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2017/04/six-cases-of-rat-lungworm-confirmed-on-island/

[oh8eleven]

avoid rat crap - do NOT handle slugs
Damn, there goes the vacation.

[editor-surveyor]

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>> You ain’t going to believe the diseases being brought into our country to help create our “diversity.” <<

Deliberately!

[Calvin Locke]

I think US “sushi” has to be from commercially frozen fish, or at least the salmon, to kill off known possible parasites.

[RummyChick]

I like to eat Sushi but I get the ones from the store that are rice, vegetables and that fake crab type stuff you can buy in the store. Like the Kemp brand.

I hope that doesn’t carry parasites

I will tell a seafood story to remember if anyone ever has a problem

Btw, have activated charcoal on hand because it helps.

I had no problems with mussels until one time I did. Apparently, alcohol and mussels can create a problem but I don’t remember if I had alcohol.

I now cannot eat mussels without getting violently sick. I guess something stays in your system creating an allergy or food issue. DECADES later. I recently tried. Didn’t eat activated charcoal just to see..wasn’t long before I projectile vomited and downed the charcoal.

These were not fresh mussels. They were frozen and had gone through process to make them safe. Don’t remember what it was called.

Now, whenever I eat shellfish of any kind I take activated charcoal just to be safe.

[NorthstarMom]

My favorite item on the menu where I work is Ahi tuna, seared very rare. I eat it quite often. Your comment along with others on this thread are changing my habit.

[VTenigma]

land crabs

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Are those any relation to land sharks? Pizza Ma’am