"Unprecedented Discovery: Live Parasitic Worm Unearthed in Woman's Brain"

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Source: Rolling Stone
"Unprecedented Discovery: Live Parasitic Worm Unearthed in Woman's Brain"
Photo: Rolling Stone
TL;DR Summary

In a world-first discovery, doctors in Australia removed a live parasitic roundworm from a woman's brain. The 64-year-old patient had been experiencing abdominal pain, diarrhea, and a cough, which later progressed to forgetfulness and depression. The worm, identified as a third-stage larva of Ophidascaris robertsi, is typically found in carpet pythons. It is believed that the woman inadvertently ingested the worm's eggs, either from vegetation or through contamination. The patient is recovering and being monitored, while researchers investigate if a preexisting medical condition made her immunocompromised, allowing the parasite to enter her central nervous system.

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