A guy who ate undercooked pork had tapeworm eggs in his brain, according to Florida doctors.
The 52-year-old guy sought medical care for terrible headaches, PEOPLE says. A CT scan revealed a tumor first thought to be “congenital neuroglial cysts,” according to the American Journal of Case Reports. Additional tests, including an MRI, revealed that the tumors were tapeworm larvae.
He told his doctors about eating soft, uncooked bacon, which may have caused his illness. Neurocysticercosis, according to the CDC, can cause convulsions and death, PEOPLE writes.
According to the doctors, “It can only be speculated, but given our patient's predilection for undercooked pork and benign exposure history, we favor that his cysticercosis was transmitted via autoinfection after improper handwashing after he contracted taeniasis from his eating habits
The CDC stated, “Neurocysticercosis is a preventable parasitic infection caused by pork tapeworm larval cysts (Taenia solium).”
Undercooked, contaminated pork causes intestinal tapeworms, according to the CDC. Her feces contain tapeworm eggs. Without washing her hands after using the restroom, she may contaminate food or surfaces with egg-containing excrement. If someone eats infected food, they may ingest these eggs. In the body, eggs hatch into larvae that reach the brain. These larvae produce neurocysticercosis.”
PEOPLE reported that the Florida guy was prescribed antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory drugs and instructed to attend infectious diseases clinic sessions.