A rare and terrifying brain parasite carried by slugs is spreading around the world, and doctors aren't sure how to fight the spread. The parasite, named Angiostrongylus cantonensis or the rat lungworm, is carried by slugs, who contract the parasite after eating rat feces containing the worm's eggs. Those slugs then crawl over fruits, vegetables, and other surfaces and are subsequently picked up by humans. The larvae travel through the bloodstream and then embed themselves deep into brain tissue, causing a host of neurological problems. Six cases have been confirmed on the Hawaiian island of Maui in the last three months. Prior to this latest outbreak, the island saw two cases in ten years, causing some doctors to believe they are witnessing a "slow epidemic." One Maui native, Tricia Mynar, has been battling the crippling disease for months with little relief. In an interview with the Honolulu Civil Beat, Mynar told the newspaper that the parasites have caused a rare form of parasitic