State-wide Warning: Know the Symptoms, Protect Yourself!

On January 18th, 2023, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the existence of an entirely new slug species. Arion Lusitanicus, or the Lusitanian Slug, is a genus of the family Arionidae. The WHO is warning residents of Roebuck and Spartanburg especially, as the first specimens were discovered on a section of land owned by the Walnut Grove Plantation. The species in question appears as a normal garden slug, but with a distinctive white oval on its underside. The toxins can be spread from any amount of contact with skin. The Lusitanian Slug has been found in a variety of places, although it seems to prefer damp areas, such as lakes or even basements. There have been eighteen hospitalizations and four fatalities, with patients describing aftereffects ranging from dizziness and severe rashes to convulsions and chest pain. Doctors are afraid of possible ongoing psychological effects such as auditory hallucinations, sudden aggression, and severe paranoia, especially as a cure is yet to be discovered. Reporter Jeremy Clarkson, while filming a report, was the unfortunate victim of one such natural attack, finding a slug on his ankle in the midst of filming. The camera crew claims he acted “off” for about an hour and a half before finally falling to the ground with his leg immobilized and his head wracked with involuntary facial movements. A group of hiking teens at the Tiger River Shoals unfortunately made contact as well. Two are reported unresponsive while a third has suffered massive cranial pressure. Health services across the state are pleading to take this concern to a higher authority. The CDC has proceeded to begin lab trials, but a cure is yet to be found.