In the United States, a Florida resident suffered from chronic, recurring migraines. Medical imaging of his brain found parasites.
Pork is never eaten raw. An interesting case was reported in this Thursday, March 7, American Journal of Case Reports. The facts date back to November 8, 2023, when a 52-year-old man presented himself to doctors in Orlando, Florida, United States.
He initially stated simply that he had been suffering from chronic migraines for 4 months. As the doctors explained in their report, it was decided to carry out a series of tests to find the root of these ailments.
A scan revealed the presence of two cysts in his brain. Large clusters visible in images:
These huge masses were in reality parasites and specifically tapeworm larvae, a worm that can reach 4 to 8 meters in length as an adult. It can also be found in raw pork, but also in fish, especially salmon.
Taste of “undercooked bacon”.
How did this American end up with these parasites in his brain? The 50-year-old assured scientists that he had not recently visited “high-risk areas” except for a cruise to the Bahamas two years ago.
“When questioned, the patient denied eating raw food, but admitted that he had been in the habit of eating undercooked bacon for most of his life,” the doctors note, however.
His diagnosis of the cause of the outbreak is therefore related to this consumption of raw pork, due to infection of the central nervous system by the food, larvae or worms that cause neurocysticercosis. Several hundred or even thousands of cases are reported in the United States each year, according to health officials.
Why promote this story? Doctors want to warn the general public about eating raw pork. But they also want to warn their colleagues about the existence of this unusual diagnosis, in this case headaches, hidden behind benign symptoms.
“This case illustrates the fact that neurocysticercosis should be considered even in the absence of obvious risk factors (…),” they point out.
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