Diseases Rabies: Department of Health

'Alive And Wriggling' Worm Survived In Woman's Body And Brain For At Least A Year

A neurosurgeon in Australia pulled a live, three inch-long worm from the brain of a 64-year-old woman in June 2022. The roundworm Ophidascaris robertsi is native to Australia and its larvae were also present in other organs in the patient's body, including the liver and lungs. This is the first known human case of this parasitic infection and it is described in a case study published in the September 2023 issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

[Related: Rare parasites found in 200 million-year-old reptile poop.]

The patient was first admitted to her local hospital in late January 2021 after experiencing three weeks of diarrhea and abdominal pain, followed by dry cough, night sweats, and fever. By June 2022, she was also experiencing forgetfulness and depression, and was referred to Canberra Hospital. While there, she underwent brain surgery when an MRI revealed some abnormalities.

Neurosurgeon Hari Priya Bandi was performing a biopsy when she used forceps to pull the parasite out of the woman's brain. She immediately contacted Canberra Hospital infectious diseases physician Sanjaya Senanayake, saying "Oh my god, you wouldn't believe what I just found in this lady's brain—and it's alive and wriggling," Bandi said, according to The Guardian.

According to the case study, this is the first known human Ophidascaris infection and the first to involve the brain of a mammalian species. These worms are common to carpet pythons and they typically live in a python's stomach and esophagus. Humans infected with Ophidascaris robertsi larvae would be considered accidental parasite hosts.

"Normally the larvae from the roundworm are found in small mammals and marsupials, which are eaten by the python, allowing the life cycle to complete itself in the snake," Senanayake, who is also one of the co-authors of the case study, said in a statement. 

The researchers believe that the woman from southeastern New South Wales likely caught the roundworm after collecting Warrigal greens next to a nearby lake where a python had shed the parasite via its feces. The patient used the Warrigal greens for cooking and was probably infected with the parasite directly from touching the native grass or after consuming the greens.

A live third-stage larval form of Ophidascaris robertsi that is about 3 inches long and only one millimeter in diameter. The worm is seen under a stereomicroscope. CREDIT: Hossain M/Kennedy KJ/Wilson HL.

According to the team, this world-first case highlights the danger of zoonotic transmission, or  diseases and infections that pass from animals to humans. This risk is growing as humans and animals start to live more closely together and habitats continue to overlap. 

"There have been about 30 new infections in the world in the last 30 years. Of the emerging infections globally, about 75 percent are zoonotic, meaning there has been transmission from the animal world to the human world. This includes coronaviruses," Senanayake said. "This Ophidascaris infection does not transmit between people, so it won't cause a pandemic like SARS, COVID-19, or Ebola. However, the snake and parasite are found in other parts of the world, so it is likely that other cases will be recognised in coming years in other countries."

[Related: Mind-controlling 'zombie' parasites are real.]

The patient was sent home following the surgery with antiparasitic drugs and has not returned to hospital since, but they are monitoring her since this is such a new infection.  

Despite this case being extremely rare and spine-tingling, parasitic infection is actually extremely common. One of the most widespread types is pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis or threadworm), and some estimates say it is present in over one billion people around the world. They are specific to humans and can cause intense itching and are passed from person-to-person.

Two types of hookworm—Necator americanis and Ancylostoma duadonale—are found in soil. Ancylostoma duodenale only lives in Australia typically in more remote communities. These worms typically enter the bloodstream through the feet.

According to Vincent Ho, an associate professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist at Western Sydney University, the best ways to avoid a parasitic infection include avoiding undercooked or raw pork, avoiding swimming or jumping into warm fresh bodies of water, practicing good hand washing, and wearing shoes in rural areas. 

Hayley Williams Gives Health Update, Says Paramore Are Back In The Studio

Following Paramore's recent show cancellations caused by Hayley Williams' lung infection, she has given an update on the Paramore Discord, saying, "I don't cough all day and night anymore" and "I'm just happy to be resting more." Though she also adds that unfortunately her "stomach is still fucked from 10 kinds of medication."

She also revealed that Paramore have been back in the studio, only a few months after releasing their new album This Is Why. "Zac and Taylor and I also just want to get back to making things. We've been craving that for a while now. Not only the creative process but the layer(s) of insulation that can come with the creative process. For me, when we get into this mode it always feels nice to disappear in a way."

Read more: Fan poll: 5 best songs of 2023 so far

Williams also commented on the TV she's been watching and the "disgusting" amount of time she's spent on social media while recovering. "I watched all of Yellowjackets, 3 or 4 music docs, They Cloned Tyrone, A Good Person (never cried so much or stared blankly across my living room for longer after a movie was over)… but mostly I just scrolled around on my phone… to a degree that has been, to put it nicely, DISGUSTING."

"After successfully divorcing myself from social media for quite a long time — I have become, once again, chronically online. Anyone else know this pain? For me, it always starts out sweet. I love to see photos or random anecdotes from people who've come out to our shows… I love the stupid inside jokes and even the sticky parasocial connection. And when I am not para-lurking, I am watching dog videos or watching people I don't know organize their shit. But I also see lots of news, especially from back home. It's literally always sad or rage-inducing. Never positive. Depressing."

"Now that the bulk of our touring for the year is over, I'm hoping to dive head first into creating some better routines."

Stay tuned for more updates from Paramore and see Williams' full update below.

message from hayley on discordby u/loki0501 in Paramore

Hayley Williams Shares Health Update After Postponing Paramore Shows: 'I Don't Cough All Day & Night Anymore'

Paramore's Hayley Williams revealed that she's been feeling better these days, after the band had to cancel the remaining dates of its recent tour due to her coming down with a lung infection in recent weeks.

The frontwoman shared an update about her health in a post to Paramore's Discord server on Monday (Aug. 28), revealing that the band is already in the process of recording new material.

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"We've been off the road for a couple of weeks now…mainly in LA. Thankfully got some down time but we put some work in too. It felt good to get back into a studio. More of that once we get home to Nashville," the "Running Out of Time" singer started the post.

She continued, "I can hardly believe I don't cough all day and night anymore. My stomach is still f—ed from 10 kinds of medication…I'm just happy to be resting more. When I was feeling my worst, I couldn't do much but just sleep and lay around. I watched all of Yellowjackets, 3 or 4 music docs, They Cloned Tyrone, A Good Person (never cried so much or stared blankly across my living room for longer after a movie was over)…but mostly I just scrolled around on my phone…to a degree that has been, to put it nicely, disgusting."

After taking a moment to muse on her recent social media use, Williams expressed a desire to have a better routine in place, one that will give way to her and bandmates Zac Farro and Taylor York creating more material.

"Zac and Taylor and I also just want to get back to making things. Not only the creative process but the layer(s) of insulation that can come with the creative process," she explained. "For me, when we get into this mode it always feels nice to disappear this way. Maybe this time I will be able to find balance between the disappearing and yet not completely shutting out the world. But probably not."

The new update comes after Paramore canceled the final two dates of their North American tour slated to take place in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 10 and in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 13. Earlier this month, Williams shot back at an Internet user online who criticized her for postponing shows and insinuated she could have carried on like Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, who in the past has performed shows with a broken leg while sitting on a throne.

"I have a lung infection you soft s—! Not a broken limb," she wrote to the person who called her "whiney," noting, "One you can sing with for 2 hours, another you cant. But worry not! The shows weren't canceled, merely postponed a week. Maybe you should come out to one of them… like Dave did."

Read Williams' new Discord post below.

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