Unusual Illness Baffles Doctors
A 52-year-old man was hospitalized after suffering from severe migraines and back pain.
Scans revealed “cyst-like lesions” in his brain, which turned out to be tapeworm larvae.
The Shocking Cause
Doctors traced the cause to his eating habits.
He had a “lifelong preference for soft bacon” and admitted to eating “lightly cooked” pork regularly.
Danger in Undercooked Bacon
The larvae came from Taenia solium, a pork tapeworm that can cause cysticercosis.
His undercooked bacon allowed the parasites to enter his body and reach his brain.
Treatment and Warnings
He spent “several weeks” in intensive care and was treated with anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory medication.
Case notes warned: “Undercooked pork consumption is a theoretical risk factor” and added,
“It is historically very unusual to encounter infected pork in the United States and our case may have public health implications.”