A parasitic worm usually found in snakes was removed “alive and kicking” from the a woman’s brain, something that had not been seen in medical records, Australian doctors reported Tuesday.
(It may interest you: Strong earthquake of magnitude 7.1 causes alarm on the Indonesian island of Bali)
Baffled, the doctors performed a MRI of a 64-year-old Australian woman after he began suffering from memory lapses and they noticed an “atypical lesion” on the front of his brain.
It was an three-inch worm called Ophidascaris robertsiwhich researchers say are common parasites in kangaroos and diamond pythons but not in humans.
(Be sure to read: Why did Martin Luther King pay for the birth of actress Julia Roberts?)
“This is the first human case of an Ophidascaris in the world”said infectious disease expert Sanjaya Senanayake.
“To our knowledge, it is also the first time that it appears in the brain of a mammalian species, human or not,” he added.
The researchers believe that the woman became infected after searching for edible bushes near her home that might have been contaminated with larvae parasites disseminated in snake feces.
“It’s never easy or desirable to be the world’s first patient for anything,” Senanayake said.
“I cannot stress enough our admiration for this woman who has shown patience and courage in the process,” he added.
(Also read: Judge sets date for trial of Donald Trump for trying to nullify 2020 elections)
The case was published in the newspaper Emerging Infectious Diseases and Senanayake He anticipated that more cases could be detected in other countries.
AFP
#Australian #doctors #find #parasitic #worm #womans #brain #time