Doctors received a shocking revelation when a man, who had visited the hospital due to migraines, was discovered to have an infestation of parasitic worms in his brain.
The 52-year-old man was found to be infected with larvae of Taenia solium, a tapeworm typically found in pigs. This parasite can also affect humans who consume undercooked or partially cooked pork or ingest feces containing the worm’s eggs.
According to the New York Post, the man sought medical assistance after experiencing a surge in the frequency of his severe headaches over the past four months. Scans revealed multiple cysts on both sides of his brain, which were later identified as pork tapeworm eggs.
It was reported that the man contracted the infection after consuming undercooked bacon. Doctors were able to ascertain the cause after learning about his “lifelong preference for soft bacon.”
Microscopic eggs likely entered the man’s intestine, leading to the development of a tapeworm. Doctors diagnosed him with neurocysticercosis, a condition in which the parasite lays eggs and infects various parts of the body.
The unusual case left doctors astonished, with researchers writing in the American Journal of Case Reports that encountering infected pork in the United States is historically rare and may have public health implications.
The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit and received corticosteroid dexamethasone injections four times daily to reduce brain swelling. Additionally, he was treated with albendazole and praziquantel for two weeks to address the worm infection. Over time, the cysts disappeared, and his migraines improved.
The details of the case noted, “His exposure history was unremarkable except for a habit of eating undercooked bacon, by which he would have developed neurocysticercosis via autoinfection. Neuroimaging and serology confirmed a diagnosis of neurocysticercosis, and he was treated accordingly with antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory medications.”
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