Doctors were shocked to find a live worm in the brain of a woman who went to the hospital complaining of forgetfulness and depression.
The 64-year-old woman from New South Wales, Australia, was admitted to a local hospital in late January 2021 after weeks of abdominal pain and diarrhoea, followed by dry cough and night sweats.
By 2022, her symptoms also included forgetfulness and depression, prompting a referral to Canberra hospital. An MRI scan of her brain revealed abnormalities requiring surgery.
During surgery, neurosurgeon Dr Hari Priya Bandi was surprised to find an 8-centimetre-long live worm in her brain and pulled it out.
‘Oh my God, you wouldn’t believe what I just found in this lady’s brain – and it’s alive and wriggling,’ Dr Bandi told her colleague.
A team at the hospital tried to identify the roundworm to decide on any further treatment the patient might require.
They sent the live worm to the laboratory of a scientist experienced with parasites who identified it as ‘Ophidascaris robertsi’, a roundworm usually found in pythons.
This case at Canberra hospital is the first of its kind reported of the parasite being found in humans.
The patient resides near a lake area inhabited by carpet pythons. Despite no direct snake contact, she often collected native grasses, including warrigal greens, from around the lake to use in cooking.
Doctors on the case believe that a python may have shed the parasite via its faeces into the grass, which probably infected the patient who touched the native grass or ate the greens.
The patient was then treated for larvae that might have invaded other parts of her body, such as the liver and is reportedly recovering well but still being regularly monitored.
Researchers are currently exploring whether a preexisting medical condition caused her to be immunocompromised, leading to the larvae taking hold.
As people and animals live more closely together, this case highlights the danger of diseases and infections from animals to humans.
While the Ophidascaris infection does not transmit between people, it won’t cause a pandemic like Covid-19 or Ebola. However, the snake and parasite are found in other parts of the world, so more cases could likely be seen in coming years in other countries.
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