In world’s first, live parasitic worm found in Australian woman’s brain

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 29, 2023: An Australian woman’s recurring medical issues took an unexpected turn when doctors discovered a live worm residing in her brain.

The 64-year-old patient had been undergoing treatment over the past couple of years for an array of symptoms, including pneumonia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dry cough, fever, night sweats, depression, and memory lapses.

 

The situation escalated in 2022 when an MRI scan exposed brain abnormalities, prompting medical professionals to recommend surgery.

Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious disease specialist in Canberra, recounted the shocking discovery. He shared that the neurosurgeon involved in the case contacted him with astonishment, revealing that they had encountered a living worm in the woman’s brain.

The surgical team was confronted with a bright red, 3-inch-long parasitic roundworm, scientifically known as Ophidascaris robertsi. This particular type of worm is typically associated with snakes, particularly carpet pythons native to regions like Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.

This marks the first recorded instance of a snake parasite being found in a human. Although the woman had no direct contact with snakes, she resided near a snake-populated lake.

Speculation suggests that the worm’s eggs could have been inadvertently ingested through edible grasses, like New Zealand spinach, collected for cooking.

The medical team had to navigate uncharted territory since the parasitic infection had never been observed in humans before. They meticulously adjusted the patient’s medication regimen over several months to address her symptoms.

While the infection doesn’t transmit between humans, it does underscore the growing trend of diseases originating in wildlife making their way into human populations.

Dr Senanayake highlighted the rise of zoonotic infections, with about 75 per cent of emerging diseases being transmitted from animals to humans, including notorious examples like coronaviruses. Fortunately, unlike Covid-19 or Ebola, this particular infection doesn’t pose a pandemic threat, as it doesn’t spread among people.

However, given the prevalence of snakes and parasites in various parts of the world, similar cases might emerge in the future.

Despite the rarity of the situation, the patient’s condition improved since the discovery. Dr Senanayake praised her courage and resilience, acknowledging that while neurosurgeons often deal with brain infections, encountering a case like this was unprecedented.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially reported this unusual case, serving as a testament to the unpredictability of medical anomalies.

Courtesy: India Today