Alert issued due to the increase of the African snail in Jaruco, Mayabeque

Authorities from the Territorial Group for Science, Technology, and Environment Policy (CITMA) in the municipality of Jaruco, province of Mayabeque, issued an alert regarding the increase of the giant African snail, an invasive species that poses a serious threat to agriculture and public health.

The chief specialist of CITMA in the area, Yaileny Quintana, explained to the local media Radio Jaruco that this mollusk—identified in the region since June 2019—reproduces very quickly and can feed on a wide variety of plants, causing significant damage to crops, gardens, and natural ecosystems.

The African giant snail (Achatina fulica) is regarded as one of the most dangerous invasive species in the world.

In addition to its environmental impact, it can carry parasites like Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which is responsible for infections that affect the human nervous system.

Local authorities urged the population to remain vigilant and report any sightings of the snail, avoid direct handling, and not to move it to other areas.

It was also recommended to strengthen cleaning efforts, eliminate potential hiding places, and participate in collection and control campaigns.

According to Quintana, the areas most invaded by the mollusk are concentrated around the Raúl Hernández primary school and the Noelio Capote Comprehensive Teaching Polyclinic, in the municipal center.

The collaboration of the community is essential to contain this threat and protect both agriculture and public health, he emphasized.

CITMA and health authorities reiterated the call for residents to actively participate in the early detection and elimination of specimens, as well as to inform hygiene and epidemiology centers about any detected outbreaks.

The residents reacted to the publication and confirmed that snails are invading the family yards. 

"The patio of my house is completely overrun; they are the owners of all the land, and the children can barely go out to play in the yards, and they even come onto the terrace," said a woman.

Although the authorities proposed various strategies to combat this pest, including awareness campaigns and manual collection of the snails, they later stated that "the lack of resources and the need for effective coordination among the different institutions and the community make eradication a complicated challenge."

In all Cuban provinces, there are reports of the expansion of the snail, and in some places like Camagüey, it is already considered a plague.