A medical mystery reveals a new host for the rat lungworm parasite

This disease can be spread by eating centipedes, frogs, snails and other creatures

Chinese red-headed centipede

COOK BEFORE EATING  The Chinese red-headed centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans) carries a parasite that can infect humans with rat lungworm disease when eaten raw.

Yasunori Koide

When a 78-year-old woman went to a hospital in Guangzhou, China, in November 2012 complaining of a headache, drowsiness and a stiff neck, doctors initially were puzzled.