Dead tapeworm in man's brain led to seizures
A woman in Boston was awakened when her husband fell out of bed, started speaking "gibberish" , and had a seizure. When help arrived the man was aggressive and not cooperative even, at first, refusing to get in the ambulance.
When he finally agreed and arrived at the hospital, he started having seizures again. He was given medication and a brain scan was performed. The results were not good.
Doctors found swelling and several lesions. The swelling and lesions are typical of a parasitic infection known as neurocysticercosis.
The culprit was a tapeworm that had probably been in the man for decades. These tapeworms are caused by eating undercooked or contaminated pork. Once they are ingested, eggs are laid and the larvae then travel to different areas of the body, even the brain. Even after they die the infection continues to cause inflammation of the infected area. This infection can also be transmitted if, say, someone doesn't properly wash their hands after using the restroom.
While the patient is recovering well, these tapeworm infections can lead to severe health issues and even death. This should serve as a reminder to always cook meat to an acceptable temperature and wash our hands frequently. For more on this story, click the link below.
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