A portion of a Florida county is under quarantine following confirmed sightings of giant African snails in the area.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued quarantine orders on Tuesday after the detection of the snails in the Miramar area of Broward County earlier this month. The agency is using metaldehyde-based molluscicide or, snail bait, to eradicate the pest.
Giant African snails are extremely detrimental to agriculture, as they consume at least 500 types of plants and can cause structural damage to plaster and stucco structures. According to the USDA, it can also carry a parasite that, in some cases, can lead to meningitis in humans.
Under quarantine restrictions, it is illegal to move a snail or other regulated items — including to plant parts, plants in soil, soil, yard waste, debris, compost or building materials — without a compliance agreement.
Giant African snails were first spotted in the Sunshine State in the 1960s, and it took nearly a decade and $1m to eradicate them. A second infestation was documented in 2011 in Broward and Miami Dade and eradication efforts were completed in 2021.
The USDA describes the giant African snail as “one of the most damaging in the world,” noting that the species reproduces quickly.
Pest authorities have advised people living in the vicinities where the quarantine took effect to be cautious around the snails.
“They may carry organisms that can cause diseases in humans,” an advisory read. “These organisms can be transferred by ingesting improperly cooked snail meat or by handling live snails and allowing their mucus to contact human mucous membranes such as those in the eyes, nose and mouth.”
The snails are almost eight inches long and five inches wide — roughly the size of an average adult fist, making them one of the biggest snails in the world.
