World Health Organisation says tapeworms are introduced to the human body by ingesting tapeworm eggs that are usually present in pork that has not been cooked properly.
As the holiday season is a time for indulgence and feasting on delectable dishes like pork and ham. However, it’s important to ensure that these meats are cooked properly, or you could be putting yourself at risk of a dangerous parasite infestation. This is exactly what happened to 46-year-old Zhu Zhongfa from Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, East China.
A month ago, Zhongfa had consumed undercooked pork and unknowingly ingested the eggs of the dangerous Taenia solium parasite. Little did he know that this single act of indulgence would turn his life upside down. He started experiencing seizures and fainting episodes for weeks on end, which eventually drove him to seek medical treatment for whatever it was that was plaguing his life.
Despite it only being a month since he consumed the undercooked pork, doctors were able to quickly identify the cause of Zhongfa’s seizures and fainting episodes. His body was utterly infected with tapeworms, which had spread throughout his body via his bloodstream. The buggers were found to be living in his brain, lungs, and other parts of his body, causing cysts and infections that resulted in seizures, loss of consciousness, and other serious symptoms.
Doctors confirmed that the tapeworm infestation was a direct result of the undercooked pork that Zhongfa had consumed. As a construction worker, his seizures and fainting episodes made him unable to operate heavy machinery and left him unable to work. He had no choice but to seek medical treatment to alleviate the symptoms and fight the dangerous tapeworm infestation.
When Zhongfa was admitted to the hospital, he was foaming at the mouth and losing consciousness, prompting doctors to act quickly. Brain and chest MRIs were ordered to determine the extent of the infestation, and it was discovered that Zhongfa had numerous space-occupying lesions in his brain, as well as cysts in his lungs and chest muscles.
Dr. Huang Jianrong from the Affiliated Hospital of Zhenjiang University School of Medicine commented on Zhongfa’s condition, saying that “different patients respond differently to the infection, depending on where the parasites occupy. In this case, he had seizures and lost consciousness, but others with cysts in their lungs might cough a lot.”
The larvae of the tapeworms had entered Zhongfa’s body through his digestive system, entered his bloodstream, and traveled to his lungs and brain. These larvae, which are baby worms, form cysts in the body tissue, which can cause infections if they decay.
People who suffer from the same problem as Zhongfa report experiencing symptoms like headaches, seizures, blindness, and dementia. However, these symptoms don’t always appear so quickly, and sometimes it can take years for the worm larvae to make their way into the brain and lungs.
If these cysts develop an infection, it’s called cysticercosis, which is very dangerous when it appears near the brain or nervous system. When this happens, it’s called neurocysticercosis, which can be deadly if not treated promptly and effectively.
Zhongfa admitted that he had eaten undercooked pork about a month ago and that he suspected that this was the cause of his seizures and fainting spells. He eventually sought medical treatment, and despite the severity of his condition, doctors were able to identify the cause of his symptoms and provide him with the necessary treatment to fight the infestation.
This serves as a warning to everyone to ensure that their meat is cooked properly, especially during the holiday season when indulgence is at its peak. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and taking precautions like cooking meat thoroughly can help prevent dangerous parasite infestations like the one that Zhongfa experienced.
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