Diagnostic dilemma: A parasite never before seen in humans was behind a woman's lung infection, organ damage and forgetfulness: A woman developed a persistent infection, and doctors couldn't pinpoint the cause for many months.

494 points by ConsciousRealism42 4 hours ago on reddit | 23 comments

Unique-Coffee5087 | 3 hours ago

Picked up a worm that is native to Australia and lives in carpet pythons.

>Carpet pythons were common near the woman's lakeside home, and although she did not recall having any direct contact with snakes, she often foraged wild greens for cooking. She likely became infected after touching or eating plants contaminated by O. robertsi eggs, the case report authors suggested. After the eggs hatched, the larvae migrated to her organs.

Yeah. Wash your hands and your food. Cook your food.

first_lvr | 3 hours ago

"Doctors removed the helminth from the woman's frontal lobe and examined the surrounding tissue"

not nice

LingonberryOwn5326 | 2 hours ago

Bright side: She nows qualifies for secretary of health.

OkFrosting7204 | 2 hours ago

Damn so did she lose a lot of her personality?

Chaost | an hour ago

She became a lot less warm after the surgery.

OkFrosting7204 | an hour ago

oh damn she died 💀

It was meant to be a worm/warm pun.

OkFrosting7204 | 41 minutes ago

wow that went right over my head

barrhavenite | an hour ago

No, she survived.

OkFrosting7204 | an hour ago

Ohh so she became rude. My grandma had a surgery on a similar area and some of her brain tissue got removed. Her personality was a lot different for a while and she lost a lot of memory. She can’t work anymore either, as she was previously a banker

Random_182f2565 | 3 hours ago

Awful news :(

Feisty-Donkey | 3 hours ago

… why?

senilechild | 3 hours ago

I think because it’s never been seen in humans before.

Feisty-Donkey | 3 hours ago

Yea, but it’s also not likely to spread to other humans- this was rare but very specific to place and activities- and it seems like the patient recovered.

senilechild | 3 hours ago

I think any time we find out a new-to-us parasite can survive our bodies and wriggle around on our brains it gives some people the heebie jeebies.

tsardonicpseudonomi | 2 hours ago

If it happens then it can happen again.

Random_182f2565 | 3 hours ago

Parasites inside you are awful

Unique-Coffee5087 | 2 hours ago

They used Ivermectin properly!

it_spelt_magalhaes | an hour ago

As it's supposed to.

squiggla | 17 minutes ago

Is there a wide prevalence of ivermectin being used improperly?

dr_chim_richilds | 55 minutes ago

So did the worm start in the lungs and move to the brain?

saintkev40 | 2 hours ago

House M.D. would of found this

tsardonicpseudonomi | 2 hours ago

You're thinking of would've (would have).