Three members of the Governor’s Joint Task Force on Rat Lungworm Disease in Hawaii are attending the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Md. this week.

Kenton Kramer, associate professor, William L. Gosnell, assistant professor and Dr. Vernon Ansdell, internal medicine specialist, tropical medicine specialist and associate clinical professor at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine are meeting with national and international experts to discuss concerns on the diagnosis and treatment of rat lungworm disease, also known as angiostrongyliasis.

Their goal after attending the meeting is to develop evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to be used by practicing physicians statewide, according to a press release from the state Department of Health.

“In addition to the devastating effects this disease can have on its victims, the core issue is that there just isn’t much information on how to best diagnose and treat those who are infected,” said Kramer, Task Force chairperson. “We recognize the frustration people feel when repeat medical visits are needed to diagnose symptoms, and that treatment options are slim and not always effective. We plan to take full advantage of the wealth of knowledge available at this meeting and hope the guidelines developed will be a practical and useful tool for Hawaii clinicians.”

No cure is available for rat lungworm disease. The use of anti-parasitic drugs, such as albendazole, are heavily debated because, in theory, it may worsen a patient’s illness and remains controversial after more than 20 years of debate in the medical community, said the press release.

To date, there have been 17 laboratory-confirmed cases of rat lungworm disease in Hawaii.