"Unprecedented: Live Parasitic Worm Extracted from Woman's Brain by Australian Neurosurgeon"

Doctors in Australia have made a world-first discovery by removing a live 3-inch parasitic roundworm from a woman's brain during surgery. The worm, identified as Ophidascaris robertsi, is typically found in pythons and is believed to have been transmitted to the patient through contaminated greens she had foraged near a lake area inhabited by carpet pythons. The case highlights the increasing risk of zoonotic infections as humans encroach on animal habitats. While this particular infection does not transmit between people, it serves as a reminder for foragers to wash their hands thoroughly after handling foraged products.