In Australia, something extraordinary happened to a 64-year-old woman. A tiny live worm, about 3 inches long, was found in her brain during surgery. This is the first time anyone has ever seen a live worm inside a person’s brain.
Dr. Hari Priya Bandi, a brain surgeon, was the one who removed the worm. She confessed that she’s used to dealing with brains but not worms. She usually encounters worms in her garden, and she finds them scary.
This parasitic roundworm was taken out from the woman’s damaged frontal lobe in Canberra, Australia, in June 2022. It’s believed that this red worm might have been inside her brain for up to two months. Thankfully, the woman is getting better.
Dr. Senanayake, another expert, thinks we might hear about similar cases in the future. But don’t worry, this worm infection can’t spread from person to person like diseases such as COVID-19. However, this kind of worm and the snakes that carry them exist in other parts of the world. So, in the coming years, we might hear about similar cases in other countries.
There’s an important lesson to learn from this case too. People who gather wild food from nature (forage) should always wash their hands after touching what they collect. And any wild food they use for salads or cooking should be washed thoroughly. This can help prevent unexpected surprises like finding a worm in your brain.
