Patient in US gets parasitic cysts after ingesting tapeworm found in undercooked pork

Patient gets parasitic cysts after ingesting tapeworm found in undercooked pork

While some dishes can be eaten uncooked, others need to be cooked thoroughly for food safety reasons.

Dr Ghali from the University of Florida’s emergency department recently took to X to share a patient’s CT scan image, which had multiple ‘white spots’ on it.

Source: Sam Ghali, M.D. on X

He described the CT scan as “one of the craziest” ones he had seen.

Dr Ghali later revealed that the patient had contracted cysticercosis — a parasitic infection caused by ingesting the larval cysts of Taenia Solium, AKA Pork Tapeworm.

Found in undercooked pork, these cysts evolved into adult tapeworms after five to 12 weeks in the human’s gastrointestinal tract.

These tapeworms then lay eggs, which are excreted through the patient’s faeces.

After being ingested by humans or pigs, these eggs release larvae which can penetrate their hosts’ intestinal walls and enter the bloodstream.

From there, the larvae can spread to almost any part of the body, including the brain and eyes.

Once they settle in these spots, they form cysts called cysticerci. The host’s immune system usually tries to destroy these cysts. Over time, the cysts harden and appear on CT scans as “rice grain calcifications”, according to Dr Ghali’s post on X.

Apart from eating undercooked pork, Daily Mail reports that the infection can also happen when people fail to wash their hands properly after using the toilet or when eggs from human faeces contaminate water sources.

Cysts can cause excess fluid in host’s brain

When cysts reach the brain, they can reportedly cause headaches, seizures, confusion, dizziness, and even a serious condition called hydrocephalus — characterised by excess fluid in the brain.

Source: Britannica, for illustration purposes only.

Surgery is often needed to remove these cysts.

If cysts affect the eyes, they can lead to blurry vision, disturbances, and infections.

Also read: Man in Taiwan gets coconut stuck in rectum, visits hospital after he struggles to pee

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted from Sam Ghali, M.D. on X and NHS, for illustration purposes only.