The live roundworm after being removed from the patient’s brain.
In the first case of this kind, Australian doctors discovered an 8-centimeter (3-inch) live parasitic roundworm in the brain of a woman suffering from symptoms of memory loss and depression.
According to The Guardian, the patient, a 64-year-old woman from south-east New South Wales, was first admitted to her local hospital in late January 2021 after suffering from abdominal pain and diarrhea for three weeks, followed by a constant dry cough, fever and night sweats.
In 2022, her symptoms also included forgetfulness and depression, leading to a referral to a Canberra hospital. An MRI scan of her brain revealed abnormalities that required surgery.
“But the neurosurgeon certainly didn’t go there thinking he was going to find a wriggling worm,” said Dr. Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious disease doctor at Canberra Hospital, told The Guardian.
“Neurosurgeons regularly struggle with brain infections, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. Nobody expected her to find something like this,” he added.
This case, involving a third-instar larva belonging to the nematode species Ophidascaris robertsi, represents a unique event in medical history. The incident was documented in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Generally, this parasitic roundworm inhabits the gastrointestinal system of carpet pythons native to the Australian state of New South Wales.
“Canberra is a small place, so we sent the live worm straight to the lab of a CSIRO scientist who has a lot of experience with parasites,” said Dr. Senanayake.
“He just looked at it and said, ‘Oh my god, that’s Ophidascaris robertsi’.”
The researchers involved in their case theorized that a python might have shed the parasite onto the grass through its feces. They speculate that the patient likely contracted the parasite by coming into contact with the native grass, subsequently transferring the eggs to food or kitchen utensils, or possibly ingesting them from eating vegetables.