According to a recent study, the individual acknowledged developing a habit of frequently eating uncooked bacon, which specialists believe is what made him especially susceptible to the infestation.
When a Florida man with chronic migraines sought medical attention and discovered what was causing the discomfort, he was probably in for a terrible surprise.
After doctors performed a CT scan to get a clear picture of the 52-year-old man’s brain, they found that festering tapeworm eggs had taken up residence in his head. and a large number of them.
However, the parasite infection was not a coincidental event. According to a paper published in the American Journal of Case Reports, the man acknowledged developing a habit of frequently consuming undercooked bacon, which doctors believe is what made him particularly susceptible to the infestation.
According to the article, the man was given antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory medicine treatment before being told to follow up with an infectious diseases clinic. Although he seems to be making progress, the researchers cautioned that the unusual illness, officially called neurocysticercosis, is extremely uncommon in the United States and should alert doctors to potential cases in the future.
“It is historically very unusual to encounter infected pork in the United States,” researchers wrote. “Our case may have public health implications.”
Inadvertently consuming the microscopic eggs of swine tapeworms, scientifically referred to as Taenia solium, increases the risk of contracting either neurocysticercosis, which is far more deadly than cysticercosis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, people most frequently get the virus by ingesting tapeworm eggs that are disseminated through food, water, or—yes—by coming into contact with surfaces contaminated by an infected person’s feces. This again underlines the need to wash hands properly with soap and water before eating anything.
Once within the body, the parasite’s larvae can enter organs like the brain and muscles, where they can form cysts and perhaps induce seizures. Neurocysticercosis is the term for the condition when they become embedded in the neurological system.
The illness can be fatal, even though it is preventable and treatable; approximately 1,000 Americans are hospitalized for it annually. It’s also costly; according to the CDC, the average hospital stay for neurocysticercosis cost $37,600.
