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In Hawaii, an Increase in Rare Brain Parasite Disease

In Hawaii so far this year there have been 11 confirmed cases of rat lungworm disease, which is caused by a potentially deadly brain parasite with one of the ugliest names in creation.

Victims include a California couple honeymooning on Maui and two people who might have caught the disease by drinking a homemade herbal beverage.

Tourism officials would like for you to keep in mind that the parasite is very rare and there's no cause for canceling vacation plans.

Still, the 11 diagnoses in the first four months of 2017 are about equal to how many people usually get the disease over the course of the entire year.

State health experts don't have a definite explanation for the increase, but they say it could have been caused by an influx of a semi-slug that can carry the parasite. 

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