Hawaii
Woman, 30, infected by brain worms after trip to Hawaii — the symptoms that sent her to the hospital
A woman who had just returned from a dream vacation ended up with a nightmare condition.
The New England native, 30, had just spent three weeks traveling around Thailand, Japan and Hawaii, where she swam in the ocean and frequently dined on salads and sushi.
When she returned home, she noticed that she felt a little fatigued, which she initially simply blamed on jet lag.
But then her symptoms got worse, and she began experiencing a burning sensation in her feet that traveled up through her legs.
She was hospitalized, but her test results seemed to indicate that she was fine — until she had to go back to the emergency room because the burning sensation had migrated to her arms and was now accompanied by a severe headache.
She was ultimately treated at Massachusetts General Hospital by Dr. Carlos A. Portales Castillo and became a case study in The New England Journal of Medicine.
According to Castillo, the woman’s roommate rushed her to the hospital once more after “she awoke, she thought she needed to pack for vacation and was not redirectable,” continuing to be disoriented for several hours, People reported.
The prognosis? Angiostrongyliasis — a parasitic infection caused by Angiostrongylus species, most commonly Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which is also known as “rat lungworm.”
While rats are the primary hosts of this infection, snails and slugs can act as intermediate hosts, and humans can become infected by consuming them raw or undercooked.
Dr. Joseph Zunt, a neurologist who specializes in infectious diseases, came to this diagnosis after doctors performed a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal fluid test, and discovered she had eosinophilic meningitis — inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.
He also connected the dots after finding out more about her behavior in Hawaii, where the infection is a known issue.
Most of the cases in Hawaii have been on the Big Island, though it’s popped up in the other major islands as well. Though there haven’t been any documented cases yet in 2025, there were eight in 2024 — seven residents and one visitor.
Infection can occur from eating raw or undercooked infected snails or slugs, fruits or veggies that have been contaminated, or an land crabs, freshwater prawns, frogs that have themselves eaten an infected snail. This patient most likely became sick while eating food that was contaminated with snail or slug slime.
Symptoms of rat lungworm often start with nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain, starting hours or days after eating contaminated food, according to Hawaii’s Disease Outbreak Control Division.
Headache, fever, muscle pain, fatigue, insominia, and neurologic symptoms can develop, as can neck stiffness and pain, tingling or burning of the skin, double vision, bowel or bladder difficulties, and seizures.
Children may experience more fever, irritability, somnolence, lethargy, gastrointestinal symptoms, muscle twitching, convulsions, and extremity weakness. In addition, individuals may experience a few days to weeks of no symptoms followed by neurologic symptoms.
Because cases are often misdiagnosed or underreported, it’s difficult to determine precisely how frequently people contract this illness. However, Hawaii typically reports 10-12 cases per year, and it has occurred in other tropical regions, such as Florida and Texas.
There is no specific cure for this infection, so treatment usually focuses on pain management. In this patient’s case, she was treated with the anti-inflammatory steroid prednisone and sent home from the hospital after six days.
In January, a disturbing X-ray of a human body riddled with worms went viral after the patient contracted cysticercosis — which begins with eating undercooked pig but is passed through fecal matter.
Just another good reminder to always wash your hands!
Frequent flyers know that Los Angeles International Airport can be a nightmare to navigate. But for most SoCal residents planning trips to Hawaii — especially those interested in direct flights on major airlines like Delta and American — passing through LAX is a necessary evil. Luckily, there’s good news for travelers considering an island getaway in 2026. Thanks to Alaska Airlines’ new service from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), set to launch in May 2026, the trip is about to get dramatically easier.
“Hollywood Burbank Airport is honored to be selected by Alaska Airlines as the next Southern California gateway to my home state,” said John Hatanaka, the airport’s Executive Director, to local television station KTLA. “Our mahalo nui loa (‘thank you very much’) to Alaska for making our hope of having air service once again to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport a reality.” Hatanaka’s statement refers to the fact that direct flights once existed between the two airports. More than two decades ago, between 2002 and 2005, Aloha Airlines flew the route, though service was discontinued when the struggling airline filed for bankruptcy. (In 2008, the company folded.)
Fast-forward to 2024, when Alaska Airlines acquired Hawaiian Airlines, expanding services throughout the region and establishing Honolulu as the company’s second-largest hub. The stage was set for a roll-out of more flights to the islands. “By the joining of these two airlines, a stronger company will emerge and offer more travel options for Hawai’i residents and local businesses,” predicted Hawaiian governor Josh Green.
Alaska Airlines announces new direct service to Honolulu
Alaska Airlines announced direct flights from Burbank to Honolulu in October 2025, and the news has been widely well-received. After all, Hollywood Burbank is already a favorite among L.A. residents. It’s one of the least crowded airports in the country, and it’s conveniently located to both the Valley and downtown. Compared to LAX, the airport offers cheaper parking options and shorter security lines. And improvements are coming in 2026: Burbank’s modernized terminal will feature upgraded seating areas and enhanced dining options, all set to be unveiled in October.
The new service will streamline the experience of flying from L.A. to Hawaii. Alaska Airlines travelers currently spend about ten hours making the trip from BUR to HNL, as the itinerary includes stops in hubs like Portland or Seattle. But on upcoming direct flights, the trip will last around six hours. Though introductory fares have yet to be publicized, travel experts suggest that flights between the two airports will likely cost $199 to $299 each way, at least during the introductory period.
There’s hardly been a better time to plan an escape from L.A., and it doesn’t hurt that Honolulu’s airport, considered one of the best airports in America for winter travel, is a gateway to tropical paradise. From there, you can hop on a shorter flight to one of the islands, or stay closer to the city and enjoy these amazing experiences you can only have on O’ahu.
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK (HawaiiNewsNow) – After just over five hours, the latest episode of Kilauea’s eruption began and ended Sunday.
The U.S. Geological Survey said episode 36 began at around 11:15 a.m. with fountains from the north vent that reached about 500 feet high, while fountains from the south vent were about one-third as high.
At around 3:35 p.m., USGS said the south vent remained up to 1,000 feet high, but began dropping at around 3:48 p.m.
The eruption ended at around 4:16 p.m., and USGS said it 10-11 cubic yards of lava that covered over half of the crater.
USGS said episode 36 was preceded by over 180 lava overflow-drainback events at the north vent on Nov. 3, with the south vent following the next day.
According to the National Weather Service, winds are blowing from the northeast, and the USGS believes volcanic gas emissions and material may be distributed to the southwest of the summit of Kilauea.
Shortly before 12:30 p.m., the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said ashfall and tephra are likely to affect the Kau district.
Officials recommend that those with respiratory sensitivities take extra precautions to minimize exposure.
CDA advises drivers to be cautious on the road as visibility may be reduced.
Watch episode 36 here:
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Around 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, Honolulu Police announced 55-year-old Jonnaven Monalim was missing, and was last seen on Wednesday night, Nov. 5, leaving his home in Kapolei.
But just seven hours after they announced he was missing, HPD was investigating a body that was found off a dirt road in Waipahu (near the Waipio Soccer Complex).
Police said officers had located the body of a man with apparent gunshot wounds.
Michael Green, a long-time family attorney for Monalim, told KHON2 that fingerprints taken from the scene where the body was found confirmed it was him.
“They took fingerprints of the body, and they’ve identified it as Jonnaven,” attorney Michael Green said.
“When I hear about bodies being found where they’re doing fingerprint identification, instead of photograph or in-person identification, it’s a rage issue or a payback issue,” explained Green.
Green says the family was not asked to identify Monalim in person or with a photo.
“When they decide not to photograph the face, for identification it shows rage or payback, and I’m not saying who they’re paying back for, and I’m not saying what people were raged about – whether it’s a money debt or something else, or I pay you back for something they think you did in the past – I can’t answer that, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen fingerprint identification where they could not take pictures of the face,” Green said.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, there was heavy police presence in the Pearl City industrial area where Monalim’s girlfriend told Green that Monalim’s hearing aid was found with a bullet casing and a pool of blood.
Monalim has a criminal record dating back to the 1980s. He was the key witness in the high-profile 2004 Pali golf course shooting trial after he wore an FBI wire that secretly recorded a conversation. That recording ultimately led to his cousin Rodney Joseph Jr. and Ethan “Malu” Motta to being sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Green said Monalim had disagreements with other individuals over the years.
“He was a street guy, and he would have been smart enough not to meet a particular person without protecting himself,” Green said. “My guy was not the kind of guy that would just walk around and meet people in the middle of the night; he had to trust the person and feel that he was safe.”
“He never would have gone to meet anybody if he had the slightest concern about his safety, but he certainly, if it was a one-on-one, he trusted the person with his life and he made a mistake apparently,” he added.
Green believes police finding the body in the middle of nowhere means one thing.
“They [police] knew where they were going, so somebody gave up somebody,” he added.
Police have not confirmed any arrests and are deferring identification of the body to the medical examiner. Police will also not say if Monalim’s missing persons case is still active.
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