A Florida district is under quarantine after giant snails that can carry a parasite “known to cause meningitis in humans” were discovered.

Authorities in Pasco County urged the public to report sightings of the snails and have issued a wanted poster.

Billed as “one of the most damaging snails in the world”, the Giant African land snails can pose a serious health risk and are illegal to possess in the US without a permit.

Nonetheless, authorities in Pasco County say one or more of the shelled gastropods have been spotted and efforts are under way to contain the problem.

“These snails could be devastating to Florida agriculture and natural areas as they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments,” the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) warning read.

“The snails also pose a serious health risk to humans by carrying the parasite rat lungworm, known to cause meningitis in humans.”

A quarantine is in place in the county, banning the movement of the snails, “plants, plants parts, plants in soil, soil, yard waste, debris, compost or building materials” out of the area without approval.

Miami building collapse: Judge approves $1bn payout for victims of disaster which killed 98 people

Gigantic python nearly 18 feet long breaks records after being discovered in Florida

‘Missing baby Holly’ found ‘alive and well’ 41 years after her parents were murdered in Texas

Additionally, authorities are using snail bait to try and catch or kill the slippery pests.

It’s not the first time Florida has been hit by a snail outbreak either.

Growing up to eight inches long, the snails are native to East Africa but are popular with some exotic pet owners.

Despite being famously slow-moving, they can produce up to 2,500 eggs per year making the population difficult to control.

Authorities say it could take three years to eradicate the snail population in Pasco County.

Christina Chitty, a public information director at FDACS told CNN that the new snails likely originated from the illegal pet trade.

“The goal is to eradicate” the snails, Ms Chitty said. “It is a comprehensive and extensive process.”

Related posts:

‘Last hug of the night’: David Schwimmer cuddles Jennifer Aniston in unseen Friends reunion photo Grizzly bear shot dead after dragging woman from her tent and killing her Evacuations in Nevada as California wildfire rages Two best friends and ‘beautiful’ student named among eight killed at Travis Scott show Tesla shares fall after Elon Musk’s plan to offload 10% of his stock is backed by Twitter users Two California couples give birth to each others’ babies after mix-up at fertility clinic US signals return to climate leadership after ‘unfortunate’ Trump years Ice skater, 72, dies after group falls through ice at California reservoir US Senate takes first steps towards new gun legislation Ghislaine Maxwell should serve at least 30 years in prison for her ‘monstrous’ crimes, prosecutors say Biden looking for ‘solutions’ after Supreme Court’s abortion ruling as protests continue Ghislaine Maxwell ‘deserves to be trapped in a cage forever’ women tell judge ahead of sentencing