An emergency room doctor at a university hospital shared a very serious-looking computed tomography (CT) scan of a patient who was hospitalized after eating undercooked pork.
Dr. Sam Ghali, an emergency room doctor at the University of Florida Health Jacksonville, posted a related photo on social media X on the 25th (local time) with the caption, “The most horrifying CT image I’ve ever seen.” You can see parasites embedded throughout the patient’s leg muscles.
The diagnosis is cysticercosis. It is caused by infection with the larvae of the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium), commonly known as the ‘pork tapeworm.’
“People can become infected with cysticercosis by consuming the larvae of the hookworm, which may be present in undercooked pork,” Dr. Galli explained.
According to related reports, after hatching, the larvae can penetrate the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream, spreading throughout the human body to form hard, calcified cysts (cysts) in the muscles or brain. If they settle under the skin, they can feel like lumps. These are the small white dots that appear on CT scans. Dr. Galli described them as “rice grain calcifications.”
The larvae that enter the human body become adults after 5 to 12 weeks.
Contrary to the strong impression made by CT images, it is generally said to not be a major risk.
Although the larvae can be unsettling when they invade a person’s body, they are generally harmless because “the host’s inflammatory response tends to kill the cysts,” Dr. Galli explained.
However, he warned that if the larvae migrate to the brain and form cysts in brain tissue, the consequences can be serious. This is called neurocysticercosis and can cause headaches, confusion, seizures, and other serious neurological problems.
Cysticercosis is usually spread through contact with the feces of an infected person, contaminated food, water, or dirty hands.
“The prognosis for cysticercosis is generally good, and it can be treated with antiparasitic therapy, steroids, antiepileptics (neurocysticercosis), and surgical removal,” he said. “Always keep yourself clean, wash your hands often, and never eat raw or undercooked pork.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 2.8 million people are infected with cysticercosis each year, mainly in low- and middle-income countries in Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe. The WHO pointed out that in areas where people and pigs live in close proximity, 30% of liver disease cases are reported to be caused by cysticercosis.
Reporter Park Hae-sik, Donga.com [email protected]
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog
-
- I recommend it
- dog
Hot news right now
2024-08-29 06:47:29