What Louisianans Need to Do If They Touch a Hammerhead Worm

The LSU Ag Center Continues to Warn Louisianians About Zombie Worms.

Why do so many people call these worms "zombie worms"? A Hammerhead worm can regenerate parts of its body, so if you think that taking the worm and chopping it up will completely kill it, think again.

The main reason why so many folks are concerned about flatworms is that they eat earthworms that we desperately need in our ecosystem. Everyone knows if you want healthy soil you need to keep those earthworms around. Experts are begging people to get rid of the hammerhead worms.

What the LSU Ag Center warned us about became a reality last summer for several Shreveport residents. Multiple residents claimed they found the invasive worm in their flowers beds and we can blame all of the rain for the surge in hammerhead worms.

CBS News Has an Interactional Map That Shows Shreveport Does in Fact Have Hammerhead Worms.

You can see the interactive map by clicking here.

Can a Hammerhead Worm Hurt You?

The basic answer is no, however, the worms do excrete neurotoxins and those neurotoxins can possibly irritate your skin if you have very sensitive skin. If your dog or cat eats one or licks one they could possibly feel sick. Keep in mind the worms can transmit some parasites, it's best to avoid handling them and if you do run across one make sure you use gloves. If a hammerhead worm touches your skin, you need to wash the affected area immediately.

Do not touch this worm with your bare hands. Wear gloves when handling hammerhead worms to avoid exposure to their mucus, then place the worm in a container or bag that it cannot escape and kill the worm. You can put salt in the container or hand sanitizer. Remember chopping up this worm won't kill.