A 64-year-old woman from Australia had a live parasitic roundworm in her brain, which is the first reported case of its kind in the world.
The woman was experiencing stomach pain, diarrhea, cough, fever, and sweating at night for a few weeks. She also had trouble remembering things and felt very sad. Doctors used a special scan called an MRI on her brain and saw something that looked like a worm. They took out the worm during an operation.
The worm was identified as a young Ophidascaris robertsi worm. These parasites are usually found in the stomach of carpet pythons, snakes that live in Australia.
Doctors think the woman might have gotten the worm from touching the worm’s eggs in the grass. The eggs could have ended up on food or things in the kitchen, or she might have eaten them with vegetables.
After the surgery, the woman is getting better. This case shows that it’s important to know that you can get parasites from animals or contaminated food, so you can take care to avoid them.
