2023-08-30 10:35:00
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The patient, a 64-year-old woman from south-eastern New South Wales, was first admitted to her local hospital in late January 2021 after suffering three weeks of abdominal pain and diarrhoea, followed by a constant dry cough, fever and night sweats.
For 2022, her symptoms also included forgetfulness and depression, leading to a referral to Canberra hospital. An MRI of his brain revealed abnormalities that required surgery.
However, the neurosurgeon who dealt with the case, Hari Priya Bandi, he found something that looked like something out of a horror movie: an 8-centimeter parasitic worm that was still alive and wriggling. Finally, she was able to remove it without complications.
A TYPICAL PARASITE IN PYTHONS
The startling discovery prompted a hospital team to quickly come together to find out what type of roundworm it was and, most importantly, decide on any further treatment the patient might require.
After searching unsuccessfully at all the different types of worms that could cause neurological invasion and disease, they sought help from experts outside the hospital. So the worm, which was still alive, was sent directly to the laboratory of a CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) scientist who had a lot of experience with parasites.
What this expert certified is that the parasite was Ophidascaris robertsi, a worm normally found in pythons. The patient at the Canberra hospital thus became the first case in the world of this parasite found in humans.
The carpet or diamond python (Morelia spilota) is a large snake in the family Pythonidae that lives in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
DIFFERENCES WITH NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS
This incident in Australia is in stark contrast to recent reports of individuals experiencing severe headaches due to the presence of tapeworm larvae in the brain.
This disorder is known as neurocisticercosis, a condition that can lead to neurological symptoms when larval cysts form in the brain. It is a parasitic infection caused by larvae of Tape soles, a kind of tapeworm. Infection occurs when the larvae invade the central nervous system and form cysts in the brain and/or spinal cord.
This infection is common in areas where taeniasis (tapeworm infection) is endemic, such as parts of Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Symptoms can vary depending on the location, number, and size of the cysts, but often include headaches, seizures, and in severe cases, hydrocephalus (fluid buildup in the brain) or meningitis. Treatment may include anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation in the brain. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the cysts.
In contrast, the Australian case involved infection by a different type of parasite, the Ophidascaris robertsi, and represents the first known case of human infection by this parasite. Although both cases involve parasites in the brain, they are caused by different organisms and have different modes of transmission, treatments, and possible complications.
HOW DID THE WORM GET INTO THE WOMAN’S BRAIN?
The patient resides near a lake area inhabited by carpet or diamond pythons (Morelia spilota), a large snake in the family Pythonidae that lives in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Despite not having direct contact with snakes, the patient often collected wild herbs from around the lake to use in cooking.
The doctors and scientists involved in his case thus conjecture that a python could have released the parasite through its feces in the grass. They believe the patient likely became infected with the parasite by handling wild grass and transferring the eggs to food or kitchen utensils.
ZOONOTIC DISEASE EMERGENCY
Currently, the patient is progressing well but is still being monitored regularly. In addition, the researchers are exploring whether a pre-existing medical condition may have subjected her to an immunosuppressed condition, which could have made it easier for the larva to slip into her system.
Be that as it may, this unprecedented case in the world highlights the danger of diseases and infections that pass from animals to humans (so-called zoonotic), especially as people and animals begin to live closer together and habitats increasingly overlap. So it is still premature to say that there may be new cases in the world, but it is something that is within the possible. Not surprisingly, of the emerging infections worldwide, approximately 75% are zoonotic. And this includes coronaviruses.
For that reason, it is essential to take proper precautions, such as regular hand washing, careful food washing, and avoiding direct contact with wild or potentially infected animals.
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