Sydney man Sam Ballard died on Friday almost a decade after he was infected by rat lungworm, a parasite usually found in rodents, brought on by swallowing a slug. He was 29 years old.
Ballard swallowed a slug while hanging out with mates in 2010.
In this special report @Lisa_Wilkinson talks to the amazing family and friends of Sam Ballard #TheProjectTV
"We were sitting over here having a bit of a red wine appreciation night, trying to act as grownups," Ballard's friend, Jimmy Galvin, told Network Ten.
"A slug came crawling across here ... The conversation came up, y'know. 'Should I eat it?' And off Sam went. Bang. That's how it happened."
A few days after eating the slug, Ballard complained of pain in his legs. An initial fear of multiple sclerosis, which his father suffered, was ruled out, before doctors diagnosed him with rat lungworm.
Rat lungworm is a very rare cause of meningitis in Australia and can be carried by rodents, snails and slugs. While most people who are infected only ever experience mild symptoms, in rare cases the worm can cause an infection of the brain known as eosinophilic meningo-encephalitis.
In Ballard's case, the worm went on to cause a brain infection. He fell into a coma for more than 420 days and became paralysed.
