Snails cause meningitis in Beijing

Seventy people have now been diagnosed with meningitis after eating parasite-infested snails in the Chinese capital, the Beijing Health Bureau said on Tuesday.
English
Sixteen of those who have contracted the disease are gravely ill and have been admitted to hospital.

All of the patients ate raw or undercooked Amazonian snails in restaurants serving Sichuan-style dishes, the Xinhua news agency reported. 

 
The latest reports from State media also blame crop destruction in southwest China on the Amazonian snail. More than 160,000 hectares (1,600 km) of land in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region have been affected, Xinhua said on Tuesday.