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A teenager was left paralysed and suffered a horrific death after swallowing a slug as part of a dare at a birthday party. ‌

Talented rugby player Sam Ballard, from Sydney in Australia, was enjoying drinks at a mate's house when they noticed the slimy creature crawling across the patio. The then 19-year-old consumed the slug after being encouraged by his friends - completely unaware it carried the lethal rat lungworm disease. ‌

Usually found in rodents, the parasite deposits its larvae in the creatures' droppings which can then contaminate snails and slugs. Sam didn't fall ill straight away, but began experiencing severe leg pains in the days following the party in 2010. ‌

He worried it might have been connected to consuming the slug, but his mum reassured him "no o

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