One of the goals of Health Literacy Month, which has been celebrated for 20+ years, is to make health information easy to understand. The producers of “Accidental Host – The Story of Rat Lungworm Disease” have done just that. This 53-minute documentary examines a silently-spreading foodborne parasite that invades human brains and now thrives in tropical areas of five continents, including Hawaii and the Southeastern United States. The film, which features patient stories and expert interviews shot in Hawaii, Florida, and California, will start to air on public TV stations around the country in October 2022.
“My goal in producing ‘Accidental Host’ was two-fold: to raise awareness among healthcare professionals and at-risk individuals and to create a compelling, accessible documentary for people interested in science and the dynamic global spread of a fascinating parasite,” explained Claire Panosian Dunavan, MD, Producer and Co-Writer of “Accidental Host – The Story of Rat Lungworm Disease” as well as a professor of infectious diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles and past president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).
“Accidental Host” includes interviews with leading experts, including Vernon Ansdell, MD, who currently chairs the clinical subcommittee of the Hawaii Governor’s Task Force on Rat Lungworm Disease; Lawrence Ash, PhD, a world-renowned parasitologist who first studied Rat Lungworm in Hawaii and French Polynesia in the 1960s; Stephen Ostroff, MD, a noted expert in public health formerly at CDC and FDA, where he served as Chief Scientist and Deputy Commissioner for food and veterinary medicine; and Robert Cowie, PhD, who is widely known for his work on invasive species, biodiversity, conservation, and slugs and snails that carry Rat Lungworm.
ABOUT “ACCIDENTAL HOST” – “Accidental Host – The Story of Rat Lungworm Disease” is a 53-minute documentary that examines a silently-spreading foodborne parasite called Rat Lungworm or Angiostrongylus cantonensis that can cause devastating harm to humans. The film was produced by Claire Panosian Dunavan, MD, and a team of veteran, award-winning filmmakers. “Accidental Host” has already received an Award of Excellence for educational documentary by The Accolade Global Film Competition. For more information and to watch the trailer, visit ratlungwormfilm.com and follow along on social media Facebook @accidentalhost and Twitter @accidental_host
HOW TO WATCH – “Accidental Host” will air on PBS Hawai’i on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 8:30 p.m. Hawai’i Standard Time and Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. Hawai’i Standard Time. Additional airdates on public TV stations around the country can be found here.