A 52-year-old Florida man was initially seeking treatment for his chronic migraines, which were worsening as time went on. What he didn't expect to find out was that he had worm eggs in his brain, which were causing his headaches.
According to a report published in the American Journal of Case Reports, when doctors did a CT scan, they found a mass that they first thought were “congenital neuroglial cysts." However, upon performing an MRI and other tests, they found that the masses were actually the larvae of tapeworms.
“Cysticercosis IgG Cysts antibody returned positive, confirming the suspicion of neurocysticercosis,” the report read. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes, “Neurocysticercosis is a preventable parasitic infection caused by larval cysts (enclosed sacs containing the immature stage of a parasite) of the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium). The larval cysts can infect various parts of the body causing a condition known as cysticercosis. Larval cysts in the brain cause a form of cysticercosis called neurocysticercosis which can lead to seizures.”
Neurocysticercosis is the "most severe form of the disease," the CDC says, and can end up being fatal. It's rare for people to contract the disease outside of classic exposures or travel. It is also believed to be unusual to come in contact with infected pork in the US, the report noted.
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"It can only be speculated, but given our patient’s predilection for undercooked pork and benign exposure history, we favor that his cysticercosis was transmitted via autoinfection after improper handwashing after he had contracted taeniasis himself from his eating habits," the report said. The man "denied eating raw or street food" but "admitted to a habit of eating lightly cooked, non-crispy bacon for most of his life," which doctors believe to be the source of his infection.
But the worm eggs in the man's brain may have been preventable. According to the CDC, “A person eats undercooked, infected pork and gets a tapeworm infection in the intestines. She passes tapeworm eggs in her feces. If she doesn’t wash her hands properly after using the bathroom, she may contaminate food or surfaces with feces containing these eggs."
"These eggs may be swallowed by another person if they eat contaminated food," it continued. "Once inside the body, the eggs hatch and become larvae that find their way to the brain. These larvae cause neurocysticercosis.”
The CDC says that symptoms can occur months to years after infection, which is usually when the cysts start to die. When the cysts die, the brain or other tissue around the cyst might swell up, and the pressure of the swelling is what usually causes the symptoms.
The man was treated with antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory medications, according to the report. He was also instructed to follow up with an infectious diseases clinic. People in the comments reacted to the news.
"Parasites cause a plethora of diseases and symptoms across America and the medical system ignores this fact," one person commented.
"This is why I burn my food to make sure it's cooked no exceptions," another user commented. Many others expressed that it was a new fear unlocked for them.
*Disclaimer: The advice on LittleThings.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
