Snails Cause Meningitis In Beijing
BEIJING (Reuters) - Eating raw or half-raw snails has led to almost 40 people in Beijing coming down with meningitis, state media said on Monday, and the same species is being blamed for destroying a huge swath of rice crops.
Around half of the victims had eaten a dish made with the Amazonian snails at a chain of Sichuan restaurants, the China Daily said.
"The large, black snails are a hot-selling aquatic product in big Chinese cities like Beijing," Xinhua news agency said, adding that those falling sick had been infected by parasitic eel worms.