Doctors found hundreds of tapeworms in man's brain after eating pork - INSIDER

Posted: 26 Nov 2019 12:56 PM PST

A 43-year-old Chinese man was suffering from headaches and seizures, and doctors found hundreds of tapeworms living in his brain and chest.
The worms likely came from eggs on a piece of undercooked pork the man reportedly ate, doctors said. When the eggs reproduce, they cause cysts that become infected lesions inside the body.
Tapeworm infections in the brain are rare in developed countries, but are best prevented when meat is cook meat properly to avoid this and other parasitic infections.
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When 43-year-old Zhu Zhongfa of China went to the hospital complaining of a headache and seizures that caused him to lose consciousness, doctors found hundreds of tapeworms living in his brain and chest, according to Newsweek.

The parasites are believed to have come from a piece of undercooked pork the man had eaten about a month before as part of a hot pot he "felt unsure about," Newsweek reported. Doctors at the First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine at Zhejiang University found the worms by using an MRI brain scan after they were initially unable to find the cause of his headaches.

The man recovered well and was in stable condition a week after treatment, but doctors said the long-term health effects are unclear, according to Fox News.

Neurocysticercosis, a parasitic disease that occurs when a person accidentally ingests tapeworm eggs and the resulting larvae infect the brain, typically comes from consuming tainted food or water. It is uncommon in developing countries, and is best prevented by cooking meat appropriately and washing hands thoroughly, since the parasites are spread through human feces.

pork chops — Cook meat, especially pork, thoroughly.

Infections, although rare, can be deadly

The species in this case was Taenia solium, which can grow up to 22 feet in length and contain 50,000 eggs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The worms typically attach to the intestine in order to siphon nutrients from the host's digestive system.

However, larvae hatching from eggs will migrate into the muscles and other tissue, forming protective cysts. As the larvae grow and expand through the body, the cysts can become infected and create lesions, or damage, in tissue.

Although the worms can be treated with medications, the damage they cause to tissue can't be reversed, Newsweek reported. And, the situation can quickly become life-threatening if the parasites are inside the brain. An 18-year-old in India reported a severe tapeworm infection in his eye and brain, and despite treatment, died two weeks after being hospitalized, according to a case study published in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year.

Symptoms of cysticercosis, the cysts caused by larvae, can also occur months, or even years, after the initial parasite infection. However, many patients with tapeworm infections may show only mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all, according to the CDC.

If you believe you may have been infected, or experience digestive issues such as abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, and upset stomach, contact a health provider immediately. In some cases, treatment is not necessary if the tapeworm exits the body on its own, according to the Mayo Clinic.

To prevent becoming a tapeworm's new home in the first place, cook meat, especially pork, to at least 145 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Using warm water and soap, thoroughly wash your hands, and any plates or utensils, after contact with raw meat.

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Man left with hundreds of tapeworms in brain, chest after eating pork - NEWS.com.au

Posted: 27 Nov 2019 12:46 AM PST

Get some more pork on your fork — the catchy slogan so many of us will find familiar.

But one man in China may feel very differently about that sentiment after his pork-based meal left him with a skin-crawling medical condition.

The 43-year-old construction worker from Zhejiang Province in East China was admitted to Hangzhou hospital after suffering from seizures and loss of consciousness for weeks.

But he was left horrified to discover his unexplained symptoms were being caused by hundreds of tapeworms in his brain and chest.

The patient, identified as Zhu Zhongfa, said he had recently eaten undercooked pork, which doctors believe was contaminated with Taenia solium — a parasitic tapeworm.

"Different patients respond [differently] to the infection depending on where the parasites occupy," Dr. Huang Jianrong, Zhongfa's doctor at Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, told AsiaWire. "In this case, he had seizures and lost consciousness, but others with cysts in their lungs might cough a lot."

He explained the larvae entered Zhongfa's body through the digestive system and travelled upward through his bloodstream. He was officially diagnosed with cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis, and given an antiparasitic drug and other medications to protect his organs from further damage.

After just one week Jianrong said Zhongfa was doing well, but the long-term effects from the massive infestation are unclear.

According to Victoria Health, Taenia solium — which is also known more broadly as Taeniasis — can be found in both pork and beef. The pork caused tapeworm causes both intestinal infection with the adult tapeworm and somatic infections with the larvae while the beef caused tapeworm will only affect the intestines.

The worms can measure up to 10m when mature and are among the biggest of these ribbon-like worms to infect humans, according to a report by The Conversation. They enter the body through larval cysts in undercooked pork that hatch in the stomach and quickly grow into adult worms which inhabit the intestine, feeding on the nutrients you eat.

Thankfully, the terrifying bug is extremely rare in Australia with Australian Pork Limited General Manager of Marketing, Peter Haydon telling news.com.au shoppers shouldn't be worried.

"Australian pork is safe to eat. The Australian pig herd is free from many diseases affecting other pork producing countries," he said.

"Our pig farmers meet world-leading standards and the pork produced is high quality and safe."

Food Safety Australia recommends cooking meat at a safe temperature and using a food thermometer.

Pork in whole cuts can be cooked at centre to your taste, ensuring the surface is well browned. A guide for steaks, chops, pieces and whole roasts is 77°C, medium 71°C and medium rare 63 °C (leave to rest for 3 minutes)

But better quality if pork steaks and pieces are cooked to 70°C and roasts to between 70°C and 75°C.

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