A middle-aged man in the US with a history of consuming undercooked “soft” bacon for years has been found to have tapeworm larva infecting his brain, doctors reported in a new study.
The 52-year-old man with a history of migraines went to the doctor as his headaches became more frequent and severe and unresponsive to usual treatments.
His pain also became worse across the back of his skull, according to the study, published [March 7] n the American Journal of Case Reports.
A CT X-ray scan of his skull then revealed multiple cysts deep within his brain in the white matter part of the organ that offers an insulating function to nerve cells.
The patient lived in the US and had no recent travel to endemic countries or contact with pigs.
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He had also not visited a farm, and lived in what researchers call a “modern home” with good sanitation.
However, he had a habit of eating undercooked bacon, by which he would have developed neurocysticercosis, doctors say.
They suspect the patient may have got infected by the tapeworm infection due to his eating habits and by not properly washing his hands after using the bathroom.
