Live Worm Found Laying Eggs In Man’s Brain

Doctors have diagnosed a brain parasite in a 52-year-old man from Florida who sought medical attention for chronic migraines.

The individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, sought medical help as his persistent headaches intensified over a span of four months, and his regular medications ceased to provide relief.

As reported by Dailymail on Friday, scans indicated the presence of multiple cysts and inflammation in his brain, attributed to a pork tapeworm laying eggs, possibly acquired from ingesting undercooked bacon.

Even without a history of international travel or consuming raw foods, the patient contracted neurocysticercosis, a parasitic infection that impacts multiple body regions, including the brain.

The attending physicians observed that his practice of consuming undercooked bacon might have been responsible for the infection.

“Our patient’s lifelong preference for soft bacon may have led to instances of undercooked bacon consumption,’ the physicians wrote.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that there are between 1,320 and 5,050 cases of neurocysticercosis every year in the US.

Neurocysticercosis typically occurs through ingesting tapeworm eggs from contaminated faeces, self-infection, or exposure to someone with a tapeworm.

Although more prevalent in rural areas of developing countries, such infections are rare in countries like the US or UK.

Symptoms range from confusion and balance issues to seizures, typically emerging months or years after infection.

The patient was treated with corticosteroids to reduce brain swelling, along with albendazole and praziquantel to eliminate the parasite.

Subsequently, his cysts resolved, and his migraines improved. This case study was documented in the American Journal of Case Reports.