Sam Ballard, who at 19 was permanently disabled after eating a garden slug at a party, has passed away aged 28.
Sam’s passing on Friday was announced to the world by The Sunday Project’s Lisa Wilkinson.
“On Friday, Sam passed away, surrounded by his family and loyal, loving mates,” she told viewers. “His last words to his mum: ‘I love you’.”
In April, The Project brought us the story of Sam.
On a night in 2010, the 19-year-old and his friends were sitting outside, drinking red wine and “trying to act as grown ups”.
When Sam spotted a slug crawling across the patio, he didn’t think twice before saying, “Should I eat it?”
It was a split-second decision that changed Sam’s life forever.
Over the next few days, Sam – a promising football player – began experiencing severe pain in his legs. Doctors originally feared Sam had developed Multiple Sclerosis, like his father, but tests came back negative.
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I HAD to Google...
"What are the symptoms?
Most people may have no symptoms at all. Others may have only mild, short lived symptoms.
Very rarely, rat lung worm causes an infection (infestation) of the brain called eosinophilic meningo-encephalitis. People with this condition may have headaches, a stiff neck, tingling or pain in the skin, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The time between eating the slug or snail and getting sick is usually 1-3 weeks.
Anyone with these symptoms should seek medical assessment although other infections (such as meningococcal disease or pneumococcal disease) are much more likely causes of meningitis in children.
How is it spread?
The adult worms are found in rats. Infected rats excrete the parasite larvae in their faeces. The parasites can then infect snails and slugs that come into contact with infected rat faeces.
People can be infected when they deliberately or accidentally eat a raw snail or slug that contains the lung worm larvae or if they eat unwashed lettuce or other raw leafy vegetables that have been contaminated by the slime of infected snails or slugs. People infected with rat lung worm do not pass the infection on to others.
Who is at risk?
The parasite is more common in some parts of the world, especially in Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and Australia. People are at risk if they eat raw snails or slugs infected with this parasite, either deliberately or accidentally. For example:
Infants and children sometimes eat snails and slugs they find
People may also inadvertently eat snails and slugs or their slime on lettuces and other raw produce
Overseas travellers may sometimes be at risk especially if they are travelling to countries where the parasite is common and if they eat raw or undercooked fresh produce such as lettuce.
How is it prevented?
Rat lung worm disease can be prevented by some simple measures:
Don't eat raw snails or slugs. If eating snails, ensure they are thoroughly cooked first.
Supervise infants and young children in environments where they may find snails and slugs.
Wash fresh vegetables and lettuces well before eating in case they have snails or slugs (or their slime) on them.
Wash your hands well after gardening or handling snails or slugs.
Consider controlling snails and slugs around vegetable patches and gardens and control vermin around the home. If snail pellets or rodent baits are used it is very important that precautions are taken to ensure young children don't accidentally eat them."
What a terrible price to pay for a moment of youthful foolishness
Especially for the mum...