Officials stated that three plastic zip bags carrying 15 living giant snails in passenger’s baggage at George Bush Intercontinational Airport in Houston, Texas were confiscated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

CBS News stated these snails, also called banana rasp snails, can transfer parasites to people which can lead to rare types of meningitis.

According to the report, the traveller, who was coming from Nigeria, had also packed a quarter-pound of meat and fresh leaves with her.

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The lady originally claimed that she was bringing dried beef with her, but subsequently added the snails to her statement, according to CBP officers.

“Our agriculture specialists remain vigilant in protecting the U.S. from foreign animal and plant disease that could threaten U.S. crop production and livestock industry or be transmitted to humans,” said Houston CBP Port Director Shawn Polley.

According to the USDA’s website, the snails may grow to nearly 8 inches in length and 5 inches in diameter. According to the USDA website, they eat at least 500 different kinds of plants and may cause structural damage to plaster and stucco buildings.

They also carry the rat lungworm, a parasite that may cause meningitis in humans in rare cases. According to the CDC, more than 2,800 instances of the disease have been recorded in 30 countries.

The CDC stated that instances have been recorded in Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, but that just a few cases have been documented in the mainland United States. According to the CDC, a New Orleans child in 1993 ingested a rare snail, the kind of which is unknown, and got sick a few weeks later.

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“He became ill a few weeks later, with muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, a slight fever, and vomiting,” the CDC said.

“His symptoms went away in about 2 weeks, without treatment of the infection.”

The parasite that the snails carry cannot live long inside a human body, said the CDC, and severe consequences are uncommon.