Story at a glance
- A 52-year-old Florida man reported worsening migraines over a four-month period.
- A CT scan revealed he had a cluster of cysts in his brain.
- The imaging pointed neurologists toward a possible lead: Neurocysticercosis, a rare parasitic infection of the brain that is strongly linked to pork consumption.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Researchers have attributed a Florida man’s battle with worsening migraines to tapeworm eggs found in his brain.
In a study published in the American Journal of Case Reports last week, neurologists documented the case of a 52-year-old man who reported his chronic migraines gradually became more severe over a four-month period.
He didn’t present with common neurological symptoms like seizures, facial asymmetry and weakness or numbness, but a CT scan revealed he had a cluster of cysts in his brain.
The imaging pointed neurologists toward a possible lead: Neurocysticercosis.
The condition is a rare parasitic infection of the brain that is strongly linked to pork consumption. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most neurocysticercosis patients in the U.S. are people who come from regions where the disease is common, including Latin America.
Cysticercosis is contracted when humans ingest eggs found in the feces of other humans with taeniasis, the pork tapeworm. The report notes countries that ban pork have “virtually nonexistent” rates of Neurocysticercosis.
The man hadn’t traveled recently or had close contact with pigs, so neurologists chalked the condition up to his “lifelong preference for soft bacon,” which may have led to accidental “undercooked bacon consumption.”
“Undercooked pork consumption is a theoretical risk factor for neurocysticercosis via autoinoculation, as we suspected in this case,” researchers concluded.
Autoinoculation occurs when a person transfers a disease from one part of their body to another. In other words, it’s like giving yourself a disease.
They concluded the man contracted the parasite by “improper handwashing after he had contracted taeniasis himself from his eating habits.”
Researchers said the disease “can easily be overlooked, especially if there is an underlying known neurological condition such as migraine.”
According to the report, the man was treated with antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory medications.
Every year, the CDC reports about 1,000 people are hospitalized with neurocysticercosis in the U.S. and the average cost for those hospitalizations is $37,600.
The agency also reports that cases are most frequently reported in California, Illinois, New York, Oregon, and Texas.
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