Hundreds of Parasites Inside the Body... Always Cook Pork Thoroughly

Patient Complaining of Cough and Abdominal Pain in Brazil
X-ray Reveals Parasites Everywhere
Cook Meat Thoroughly to Prevent Infection

Hundreds of parasites were found inside a patient in Brazil who complained of coughing and abdominal pain. This could have been prevented by cooking pork thoroughly.

On the 10th (local time), according to British media Daily Mail and others, Dr. Vitor Borin de Souza, a doctor at a hospital in Botucatu, Brazil, recently shared an X-ray image on his social media of a patient who visited his hospital with coughing and abdominal pain. The cause was parasites.

X-ray image released by Brazilian medical staff [Image source= SNS capture]

The X-ray shows hundreds of parasites filling the abdomen. In addition, white spots are visible throughout the muscles, which are explained to be the calcified remains of the parasites.

This condition, called "Taeniasis cysticercosis," refers to a human infection caused by the larvae of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. It mainly occurs when larvae living in the human intestines invade muscles, the brain, and other areas.

The larvae that invade muscles and the brain can form nodules resembling cysts under the skin. Although they may cause visual discomfort, they are generally harmless. The patient in question did not receive any special treatment.

Dr. de Souza explained, "If there are no abnormalities in the head, spinal cord, or eyes, treatment is not necessary," adding, "The parasites seen on the X-ray are calcified and are not viable larvae, so unless the patient experiences discomfort, no special measures are needed."

However, if remaining cysts occur in the brain or eyes, they can cause problems. Therefore, the patient is awaiting an MRI scan to check the location of cysts in the brain. Depending on the cysts' location, symptoms such as headaches and seizures may appear. If left untreated, it can lead to fatal complications such as hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid accumulates in the brain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies larval cysts occurring in the brain as a major cause of epilepsy. It is known that about 2.5 million people are infected with Taenia solium annually, with many cases found in developing countries in Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe.

The larvae enter the human body when consuming meat, especially pork, that has not been properly cooked. Beef must be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 66℃, and pork to at least 77℃ to kill the parasites. It is safest to cook the meat thoroughly to ensure the parasites are completely killed.

Parasites can enter the body when food is prepared in unsanitary conditions or consumed with dirty hands. They are generally known to be transmitted through contaminated feces.