Doctors remove 3-inch parasitic worm from woman’s brain in world first

[jayem]

When a 64-year-old Australian woman was sent to hospital for brain surgery, neurosurgeon Dr. Hari Priya Bandi was not expecting to pull out a live 8-centimeter (3-inch) long parasitic roundworm that wriggled between her forceps...

Molecular tests confirmed it was Ophidascaris robertsi, a roundworm usually found in pythons, according to a press release from the Australian National University and the Canberra Hospital.

“To our knowledge, this is also the first case to involve the brain of any mammalian species, human or otherwise,” said Senanayake, who is also a professor at Australian National University.

She'd been sick for a couple of years. It began with abdominal pain, diarrhea, cough and fever. She later had depression and memory problems. Lucky for her, with proper neurosurgical care, she was able to worm her way out.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/29/australia/australia-parasitic-worm-brain-scn-intl-hnk/index.html

 

[Fireinfolding]

Thats just so gross, can't imagine. You can even do a search on articles a couple of years back where they want to encourage Florida residents to eat pythons (mostly because they are an invasive species). But the only concern I saw raised was about the mercury levels in them and zeo concern about any parasites that could possibly grow in your brain from eating them. I dont even know if thats how you can get one (by eating one or not) but who knows with all the cultural diversity being brought in there are some cultures that eat snakes and who can know for sure whats on the menu at all times?

CNN had this article 2 years back

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/20/us/florida-pythons-eat-study-trnd/index.html

I wonder if they have considered it safe yet?

 

[durangodawood]

Cook your python thoroughly, people!

 

[Hans Blaster]

Cook your python thoroughly, people!

I don't even compile mine.

 

[Tinker Grey]

I don't even compile mine.

*oof*

 

[durangodawood]

I don't even compile mine.

I detect a coder joke tho I dont have the background to know if Ive extracted every byte of humor.

 

[Tinker Grey]

I detect a coder joke tho I dont have the background to know if Ive extracted every byte of humor.

Thou detectest aright.

 

[Pommer]

I detect a coder joke tho I dont have the background to know if Ive extracted every byte of humor.

We need a groan emoji

 

[wing2000]

Cook your python thoroughly, people!

....on BBC radio, some dude was theorizing the victim, who apparently collected and handled grasses, was infected by a grass contaminated by python dung.

 

[durangodawood]

....on BBC radio, some dude was theorizing the victim, who apparently collected and handled grasses, was infected by a grass contaminated by python dung.

Mm hmm. Now they want us to be afraid of the grass.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Does Australia have any non-human organisms that aren't the thing of nightmares?

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I don't even compile mine.

Well played sir!

...although, still less painful than javascript

 

[MehGuy]

I hope the worm is ok.

 

[DaisyDay]

....on BBC radio, some dude was theorizing the victim, who apparently collected and handled grasses, was infected by a grass contaminated by python dung.

This conversation is really off-putting....and yet I can't resist.

 

[DaisyDay]

Does Australia have any non-human organisms that aren't the thing of nightmares?

I was gonna say, "Kookooburra" but then I googled it:

 

[Pommer]

Well we know it wasn’t a trojan…

 

[Hans Blaster]

We need a groan emoji

Only if it's a proper regex.

 

[Occams Barber]

I was gonna say, "Kookooburra" but then I googled it:

This is what my place sounds like 3 or 4 times a day when the local kookaburras have a singing competition.

OB

 

[RileyG]

Yikes! :O

 

[eleos1954]

When a 64-year-old Australian woman was sent to hospital for brain surgery, neurosurgeon Dr. Hari Priya Bandi was not expecting to pull out a live 8-centimeter (3-inch) long parasitic roundworm that wriggled between her forceps...

Molecular tests confirmed it was Ophidascaris robertsi, a roundworm usually found in pythons, according to a press release from the Australian National University and the Canberra Hospital.

“To our knowledge, this is also the first case to involve the brain of any mammalian species, human or otherwise,” said Senanayake, who is also a professor at Australian National University.

She'd been sick for a couple of years. It began with abdominal pain, diarrhea, cough and fever. She later had depression and memory problems. Lucky for her, with proper neurosurgical care, she was able to worm her way out.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/29/australia/australia-parasitic-worm-brain-scn-intl-hnk/index.html

How bizarre! Glad they were able to find this and remove it.