It was a peculiar find… And unpleasant. For both the doctors and the patient. Doctors in the United States why a patient had very frequent migraines. This is how they diagnosed the man who had larvae in his brain.
The 52-year-old visited his doctor in Florida after his migraines worsened. When performing CT scans, doctors found the presence of numerous cysts in the brain. They were tapeworm larvae that had settled in his brain. They caused an infection known as neurocysticercosis.
Autoinfection
It is believed that the man first contracted an intestinal tapeworm from eating undercooked pork. The patient responded to antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory medications and made a full recovery.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tapeworm larvae “enter tissues such as muscles and the brain and form cysts. “When cysts are found in the brain, the condition is called neurocysticercosis.” “Humans swallow the eggs when they eat contaminated food or put contaminated fingers in their mouths. Someone with a tapeworm can infect themselves (autoinfection). Also to other family members,” they add.
Experts say that eating undercooked pork cannot cause neurocysticercosis. This condition is also not common in the US, where pork undergoes rigorous testing. The highest rates of this condition are found in parts of Latin America, Asia, and Africa. It is more common in rural areas where pigs roam freely. People are at greater risk of contracting these types of infections if they wash their hands poorly. Or if they ingest contaminated water or food.
Handwashing
The report’s authors concluded: “It is very rare for patients to develop neurocysticercosis outside of classic exposures or travel. “It was thought that such cases in the United States were non-existent.”
They say the case highlights the risk of “consumption of undercooked pork” and subsequent self-infection. «Historically it is very unusual to find infected pork in the United States. “Our case may have implications for public health,” the report concludes. The man who had maggots in his brain surely washes his hands more often now.
