This is the kind of story that keeps me up at night.
And in the middle of your already sleepless night, you suddenly remember and think to yourself “What if there are parasites eating me right now?!”
Parasites are commonly found in animals. Like it or not, they are a part of nature. But sometimes they can be found in humans too.
Parasites like lice are relatively easy to get rid of. Either shave your head or go down to the nearest store to get some chemical to wash them out of your hair.
However, when it goes into your brain… that’s another story. You can’t simply “wash ” it off.
And that’s the case for the man from Guangzhou, Wang Lei who had a 12cm long FLESH-EATING tapeworm in his BRAIN.
Bizarre Symptoms
Wang Lei first started to experience numbness down his left side in 2007. Ever since then, his health has deteriorated.
He has jumped from specialist to specialist as the doctors tried to figure out the root cause of his issues.
At one point, he was treated for a malignant brain tumour. However, his condition only continued to worsen, as he experienced frequent seizures and blackouts.
Tapeworm Discovered In Brain
In 2018, a CT scan of Wang Lei’s brain led to a shocking discovery.
Doctors found a tapeworm.
It has been living and feasting on his brain and it was the answer for all the pain and trouble he had for the past 15 years.
However, getting rid of it wasn’t easy.
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Tapeworm In Risky Area
Wang Lei’s doctors advised him to undergo a non-surgical treatment as the parasite was in a risky area to operate on.
However, when the treatment did not work, he had no choice but to go under the knife to get the nasty parasite out of his brain.
After a two-hour procedure, medics managed to remove the parasite, which turned out to be a Sparganum Mansoni- a parasite commonly found in the intestines of cats and dogs but rarely in people.
His doctors commented that the tapeworm was alive and kicking. They had to remove all of it if they wanted to make sure the parasite was gone for good. The leftover part could grow again if not removed fully.
Not The Only Case
The doctor commented that this wasn’t the only case.
In fact, the hospital had treated four patients with tapeworms this year. A quick search showed that it isn’t a very rare occurrence.
Take, for example, this man whose liver was infected with parasitic worms after he ate raw seafood for three years.
The doctors also advised that we should make sure that frogs, snails, and snakes are thoroughly cooked through before consumption. Water in the wild that has not been boiled is also not safe for drinking and can lead to a sneaky little worm entering your system.
Let’s all wish Wang Lei a speedy recovery!
