Disgusting & Dangerous Religious Practices

There are plenty of them out there, but this is one I hadn't heard of before. Some guy in Florida and his followers drink the mucus of the giant African snail as part of their religious rituals. Apparently it made the news after some of the participants got sick. 

These snails are one of the nastiest pest creatures around.

Scientists also consider the GALS to be one of the most damaging snails in the world because it is known to consume at least 500 different types of plants. This pest could be potentially devastating to southern agricultural and natural areas because they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments. GALS are illegal to import into the United States without a permit and currently no permits have been issued.

Not only did these people illegally import a virulent pest that can wreak havoc on agriculture, but they are also risking their lives by ingesting snail fluids.

There are public health concerns surrounding this type of snail because it is known to carry a parasite that can cause serious diseases in humans such as eosinophilic meningitis. These diseases can be transferred to humans by eating raw, undercooked infected snail meat or contaminated vegetables. Humans can also be infected by handling live GALS if the snails' secretions contact mucous membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth.

The article detailing the problems with the snail doesn't mention drinking its mucus. It probably didn't occur to the writers that anyone would be insane enough to do such a thing.