The invasive species is aggressively spreading across South Florida. It is probably devastating the ecosystem which requires taking urgent measures.

The invasive form of flatworm has been discovered in Cape Coral, as well as other parts of southwestern Florida. The species is native to New Guinea. It was foundin Miami for the first time in June 2015. Then, the species spread west.

According to expertsflatwormwas probably transported to the United States with some plants or tropical fruits. It probably originated from the South Pacific.

Possible Damage

The appearing of the species in the USA is really concerning because of the significant damage which the invasive species often do. These worms are possibly capable of wiping out the invertebrateswhich are native for this area. This could lead to destroying trees, shrubbery and other forms of vegetation.

Possibly Dangerous for Humans

This invasive creature is possibly harmful not only for soil and plants. It is considered to be a potential serious threat to humans. That is why the authorities warned the locals not touch such warms if someone finds them in a garden or somewhere else. The flatworm could potentially carry a parasitic disease which usually infects rats and could also be passed to humans. This disease could lead to very serious problems, such as meningitis.

One of the symptoms that you are probably infected is horrible coughing according to Roy Beckford, an agriculture expert in Lee County who is currently working with the University of Florida.

This worm might cause also other health problems to humans. These flatworms can vomit a "caustic substance’ which could affect a person's skin, according to Beckford. This means that anyone who sees such a creature should not touch it. Instead, they need to immediately call in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and explain what they found and where. The organization is working on preventing the invasive species from spreading further. This requires informing local people immediately about the biological threat. Thus, people will know how to prevent potential health problems and that they should inform the authorities immediately if they find such creatures.

Stopping the Invasion

Discovering the appearance of the invasive species is an important step in stopping its future development. Now, it is essential local people and authorities to communicate successfully in order to prevent further invasion. Since invasive species are usually quite aggressive to the native ones, urgent measures for their destroying should be taken.

According to experts these flatworms could be killed if you pour boiling water on them. Still, residents are asked to call the authorities instead. Thus, they will ensure valuable information about the spreading of the invasive species.

Photo attribution: by Pierre Gros [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons