AS the city embraces its rainy season, giant snails are a quite common sight on roads and grass after a downpour. The Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday suggested citizens, especially children, avoid touching or eating the snails.

The giant snails showing up after downpours are Achatina fulica, nicknamed as giant African snails. The snail species originated in eastern Africa and is one of the largest snails in the world.

The snails were unintentionally brought to Xiamen in the first half of the 20th century, according to media reports. The giant African snails became part of the 16 species in the first batch of invasive creatures in China due to its quick reproduction cycle.

The snails will eat out agricultural products, including vegetables, crops and plants, in their reaching areas. Therefore it was listed as a Level-2 harmful organism by China’s entry and exit quarantine authorities.

The snails’ mucus and fecal matter may carry many parasites and pathogenic bacteria, especially angiostrongylus cantonensis, also known as rat lungworm, which causes fatal eosinophilic meningitis. Children are prone to get the parasitic infection if they touch an infected snail because of their low immunity, according to the Shenzhen CDC.

The center said 31 percent of the giant African snails in Shenzhen are infected with rat lungworm. An infected snail carries about 100 such parasites.

Therefore, the center suggested people not touch or eat the snails. If giant snails are found around a home, residents are advised to pour salt on the snails. The snails will die when they come into contact with salt. (Chen Siqi)