A teenager died after his brain became riddled with hundreds of larvae from a tapeworm often picked up from eating pork.
The boy was admitted to ESIC Hospital in Faridabad, India, suffering from “tonic-clonic” epileptic fits.
He was in a confused state, with swelling over his right eye and a pain in his groin.
Ultrasound also revealed that the pain in his groin and eye was caused by further cysts in those regions—by larvae from the tapeworm.
The most dangerous aspect of Taenia solium infection is not the tapeworm absorbing nutrients in one’s gut, which can go undetected for many years.
The tapeworm also produces eggs, which can spread to other parts of the body, where they form cysts and damage tissues—a disease known as cysticercosis.
If cysts form in the brain it is known as neurocysticercosis, and is a major cause of epileptic fits in the developing world.
Anti-parasitic medicines can be used to treat tapeworm infections and some cases of cysticercosis.
But the teenager had so many cysts that his doctors feared the anti-parasitic drug might cause further inflammation and cause swelling in the brain and eyes.
He was treated instead with dexamethasone and antiepileptic medications, but died two weeks later.
“Humans become infected after consuming undercooked food, particularly pork, or water contaminated with tapeworm eggs, or through poor hygiene practices,” the WHO says.
The tonic-clonic seizures experienced by the Indian teenager are what used to be called grand mal seizures.
As the name suggests, the seizures have two phases: First, the person loses consciousness as all of the muscles go stiff as they fall to the floor if they are standing. Then the limbs jerk rhythmically.
“Taeniasis [a tapeworm infection] and cysticercosis are common in areas where animal husbandry practices are such that pigs come into contact with human faeces.”
Tapeworm infections can also come from fish.
Doctors were skeptical—until he produced a grocery bag with a five-foot worm inside.
Bhan was initially mystified by how the patient had contracted the parasite, usually associated with drinking from wells in third world countries.
“Then he says, ‘the only thing is… I love sushi. Do you think it came from the salmon. I eat salmon almost every day.'”
“He loves salmon sashimi,” Bahn said.
Salmon are known to carry the parasitic larvae, which can then develop into the full-blown tapeworm in human guts.However, the cooking process kills them completely. Eating raw fish carries a risk—which is why salmon sushi is flash-frozen, which should make it completely safe.
