Live worm found in women’s brain

August 29, 2023

Share to Google Classroom

In a remarkable and unprecedented discovery, a 8cm live worm has been found in a Australian women’s brain.

The 64-year-old woman, who was originally from England but living in Australia, had been experiencing forgetfulness and depression. After a series of medical tests, including an MRI scan, doctors were shocked to find a live parasitic roundworm right in her brain.

This rare case has been documented in the medical journal “Emerging Infectious Diseases.” The worm, identified as a third-stage larva of the Ophidascaris robertsi nematode species, is usually found in the digestive tracts of carpet pythons in Australia. It’s quite unusual for a worm like this to end up in a human brain.

Medical experts think that the woman might have accidentally eaten the worm’s eggs. How? Well, they suspect that she might have consumed the eggs by eating grasses that had snake feces on them. This is just a theory, though; the exact cause isn’t certain.

After the eggs hatched inside her body, the larvae seemed to have taken a journey to her brain. Some experts think that the medication she was taking might have weakened her immune system, allowing the larvae to travel to her brain.

In the end, doctors performed surgery to remove the worm, and the woman is now recovering. This incredible case shows just how mysterious and surprising our bodies can be!

LEARNING OPTIONS