Rat lungworm comes from the slime from snails (maybe slugs too). Presumably you peeled the mangos and didn't eat any exposed flesh which would have been overrip

Rat lungworm comes from the slime from snails (maybe slugs too). Presumably you peeled the mangos and didn't eat any exposed flesh which would have been overripe and discolored. It's the unwashed raw produce in Hawaii that has a risk of rat lungworm in Hawaii. And the snails, but presumably you didn't eat any snails either, though they are large and edible when properly cooked. However, the skin of mangos contain trace amounts of a toxin similar to that in poison ivy/oak, and some people can react to it in their skins--though not life threatening. There are some things in Hawaii which can kill you. If the article author had taken the same bite from the be-still fruit (Cascabela thevetia), she'd most likely be dead. A couple of others too: castor bean (ricin) and black-eye Susan beans (can't remember the exact name). They're all plants that were imported as ornamentals and are now spreading invasively. Edited to add: some native plants can be dangerous as well: all parts of the taro plant must be cooked to get rid of oxalic acid cristals which will severely irritate your mouth and throat. The author of the original article is truly a Darwin Award seeker, something about tropical vacations make people leave their brains at home--they take the tropical paradise meme far too literally. Though I guess we now have an accurate medical paper on the effects of the manchineel.