Targeted management of the invasive giant african snail through specialized bait: a novel approach to combating neuroangiostrongyliasis transmission

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded Apex Bait Technologies, Inc., $292,275 on August 11, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to develop and evaluate a specialized bait formulation for controlling invasive giant African snails (GAS), which serve as vectors of rat lungworm disease (neuroangiostrongyliasis).

The project addresses a public health gap: current USDA-APHIS GAS eradication efforts in Florida rely on generic metaldehyde baits that suffer from low discovery rates, poor palatability, and bait avoidance by target snails, coupled with restrictions on metaldehyde use in residential and garden settings due to mammalian toxicity and environmental concerns. Apex Bait Technologies will develop species-specific attractants integrated into bait formulations to enhance GAS discovery and consumption, leveraging preliminary findings that species-specific attractants significantly improve bait efficacy in mollusk control. Work is performed in Santa Clara, California, with performance through July 31, 2027.

This is a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project Grant. Apex Bait Technologies has received seven prior federal grants totaling approximately $1.23 million from NIFA and NIAID for bait technology development, including projects on olive fly control, stable fly control, snail and slug control, mosquito control, and cockroach control.

Abstract

RAT lungworm disease [neuroangiostrongyliasis (NAS)], is an emerging yet neglected public health threat that can cause severe neurological symptoms and even death. The rise in RAT lungworm infections in the united states, particularly in hawaii, has been significantly associated with the spread of invasive giant african snails (gas). Approximately 1 in 3 gas in the U.S. Serve as active vectors of RAT lungworm; previous research found that 36% of field-collected gas in florida and 34% of gas in hawaii carry the RAT lungworm parasite. A 2022 comprehensive review of 70 studies found a significant association between gas invasion and incidents of RAT lungworm transmission. Furthermore, modeling studies predict that the potential invasion of gas to new territories poses a significant risk for NAS. Therefore, controlling gas infestations is crucial for eliminating the future incidence of NAS. At present, the USDA-aphis is utilizing generic metaldehyde baits designed for broad-spectrum mollusk control to eradicate a recent and third gas invasion in florida in 2023. However, generic metaldehyde baits face issues such as low bait discovery, poor palatability, and bait avoidance by gas in the field. This leads to a reduced likelihood of bait encounters and consumption, resulting in suboptimal control of gas. Moreover, due to high mammalian toxicity, environmental concerns, and frequent pet poisoning incidents, metaldehyde baits have been classified as a restricted-use pesticide and are not permitted for use in residential, turf, and garden settings without a license. This has created an urgent need for new gas control tools to support gas eradication programs. Our preliminary studies indicate that the use of species-specific attractants in bait significantly enhances bait discovery by target mollusk species. Similarly, the use of phagostimulants improves bait acceptance and ensures lethal ingestion of toxicants leading to enhanced bait efficacy. Based on these results, we propose to develop an innovative phagostimulant-enhanced bait that includes a targeted gas-specific attractant blend and a reduced-risk molluscicide. This product aims to effectively address drawbacks with current metaldehyde baits to yield a viable commercial product suitable for use in both residential settings and horticultural farms. We propose three specific aims to evaluate the technical feasibility of this approach against gas. Aim 1 will identify and formulate a volatile attractant blend and evaluate its effectiveness in attracting gas. Aim 2 will focus on incorporating the sustained-release gas- specific attractant blend into bait to enhance the bait discovery by gas. Aim 3 will assess whether a combination of attractants, phagostimulants, and reduced-risk active ingredients can effectively eliminate gas relative to commercial metaldehyde bait. This research directly aligns with the NIH mission by addressing a critical, yet underfunded, public health issue with significant potential for widespread disease outbreaks. By developing a novel bait for controlling gas, we aim to mitigate the public health risks associated with this emerging infectious disease.