Live Parasitic Worm Located in Australian Woman’s Brain, Unique Case in Medical History

A live 8 cm long live roundworm was discovered within the brain of a woman by doctors in Australia. This is reported as the first-of-its-kind incident in medical history.

The woman was suffering from symptoms of memory loss and depression.

According to The Guardian, the patient happened to be a 64-year-old woman from south-eastern New South Wales in Australia. She was first admitted to her local hospital in January 2021 with symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhoea, followed by a constant dry cough, fever, and night sweats.

By 2022, her symptoms also included forgetfulness and depression. She was referred to a Canberra hospital.

An MRI scan of her brain hinted that she had abnormalities that required surgery.

During the surgery, the neurosurgeons were astonished to find the live round worm in her brain. It was a third-stage larva belonging to the Ophidascaris robertsi nematode species. Generally, this parasitic roundworm inhabits the gastrointestinal systems of carpet pythons native to the Australian state of New South Wales.

The researchers feel that a python might have excreted the parasite through its faeces onto the grass. The patient likely contracted the parasite by coming into contact with the indigenous grass, subsequently transferring the eggs to food or possibly ingesting them while consuming greens.