In an astonishing case and the first of its kind in the world, neurosurgeons in Australia extracted a parasitic worm 8 cm long from the brain of an Australian woman.
The 64-year-old patient’s suffering journey began in 2021, when she began to complain of some health symptoms, the most important of which were constant headaches, abdominal pain and nausea, before her condition developed to suffer from coughing, high fever, forgetfulness and depression, according to the newspaper.Guardian” British.
After her condition worsened, the medical team referred her to Canberra Hospital, South Australia, where an MRI scan of her brain revealed abnormalities that required surgery. And the surprise? Discovering the presence of a live worm inside the patient’s brain.
In this regard, neurosurgeon Dr. Hari Pandey described it as “one of the things that do not happen twice in a doctor’s career.” The live worm was also sent to a specialized laboratory with great experience in the field of parasitology.
The laboratory revealed that the type of parasitic roundworm, Ovidascaris robertsi, is a parasitic worm commonly found in snakes. What happened to this lady is considered the first case of its kind among humans.
After research and investigation, it was found that the patient lives near a lake where a type of snake called “carpet viper” is common. Although the patient has no direct contact with snakes, she relies a lot on the herbs found near the lake for her cooking.
Therefore, the team expects that the worm may have moved from the snake’s droppings to the leaves of the herbs, and then to the lady, either through touch or eating.
The patient is under intensive monitoring due to her unprecedented condition, and doctors have confirmed that she is recovering well.
2023-08-29 12:49:00
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