Recently, a man in New South Wales acquired eosinophilic meningitis (angiostrongyliasis) after ingesting a slug.

The 1st Australian case of human angiostrongyliasis was reported in 1971, in Brisbane.

At first, sporadic cases were reported only from coastal Queensland, northern New South Wales.

Four cases were reported in Victoria to 1999 (3 of these imported from Fiji; one fatal case).

Seropositivity is common among aboriginals.

Reservoirs:
The parasite has been identified in dogs in Sydney as well as in grey-headed fruit bats (Pteropus poliocephalus) Bennett’s wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) rufous bettongs (Aepyprymnus rufescens) and captive tamarins (Sanguinus spp).

Further information regarding this, and all other diseases endemic to Australia, is available in Infectious Diseases of Australia. Los Angeles, Gideon Informatics, 2010. 488 pp. [edited] www.gideononline.com/ebooks/country/infectious-diseases-of-australia/

Update: Published in ProMED

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