Live worm found in woman’s brain in world-first discovery
A woman who was experiencing forgetfulness and depression has had an 8cm-long parasitic roundworm removed from her brain.
The 64-year-old English woman, who was living in New South Wales, Australia, was admitted to hospital in January 2021 after three weeks of abdominal pain and diarrhoea, followed by a dry cough and night sweats.
By 2022, her symptoms had evolved to include forgetfulness and depression, prompting medical professionals to refer her to Canberra hospital.
An MRI scan of her brain revealed that a motile helminth – a parasitic roundworm – was living in the right frontal lobe lesion of her brain.
Surgical intervention became the only option, and doctors successfully removed the roundworm, which measured 8cm (80mm) in length and 1mm in diameter.
The live roundworm after it has been removed from the patient’s right frontal lobe. Pics: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Identified as a third-stage larva of the Ophidascaris robertsi nematode species, the case is unprecedented in medical history, and has been documented in the journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Typically, this parasitic worm lives in the digestive tracts of carpet pythons indigenous to the Australian state of New South Wales.
Medical professionals suspect the woman inadvertently ingested the worm’s eggs by eating edible grasses that were tainted with snake faeces, however, the actual cause cannot be confirmed.
After the eggs hatched within her body, medics believe the larvae embarked on a journey to her brain. This could have been influenced by the medication she was taking, which compromised her immune system.
“We hypothesised that she inadvertently consumed eggs either directly from the vegetation or indirectly by contamination of her hands or kitchen equipment,” the medics said.
An image of the woman’s brain showing the right frontal lobe lesion
Ordeal began in 2021 – with evolving symptoms
The woman’s ordeal began in January 2021 when she was admitted to a hospital in Canberra.
Despite comprehensive tests, the results of her numerous medical tests remained inconclusive. Eventually, she received a diagnosis of pneumonia originating from an undisclosed source and was prescribed steroids.
Although her condition initially showed signs of improvement, she found herself readmitted to the hospital a few weeks later, plagued by a fever and an unrelenting cough.
Doctors suspected the presence of T-cell driven hypereosinophilic syndrome, a condition that can be life-threatening, characterised by the immune system going into overdrive. To address this, she was administered immunosuppressing medication as part of her treatment.
The worm seen under a microscope
A CT scan also unveiled multiple troubling findings, including pulmonary opacities, hepatic and splenic lesions.
Three weeks later, her condition worsened, prompting her admission to a tertiary hospital. With persistent fever and cough, her medical team escalated the investigation.
By January 2022, she experienced further changes, including forgetfulness and worsening depression over a three-month period, prompting doctors to examine her brain.
Subsequent scans unveiled a brain lesion, leading to her undergoing surgery in June of the previous year.
‘String-like structure’ discovered in brain
During the surgical procedure, an unusual “string-like structure” was discovered within the lesion, and to doctors’ astonishment, it began to wriggle.
Examination of the worm indicated its affiliation with a family of parasites typically exclusive to snakes. This marked the first documented instance of such a parasite infecting a human.
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Subsequent medical procedures revealed the absence of any additional worms residing within her body.
Half a year after the surgery, while the woman’s forgetfulness and depression had shown signs of improvement, they persisted to some extent.
Medical experts emphasised the significance of ongoing monitoring, as studies on rats have demonstrated that the worm’s eggs can endure within the body for over four years.
But they added that while the species of worm had been known to infect animals’ digestive systems, it had not been discovered in the brain of any species before.
The medics said that while the particular worm in question is exclusive to Australia, there are similar species located in other parts of the world, suggesting the potential for further occurrences in the future.
They also emphasised that the case underscored the persisting danger of zoonotic diseases transmitted between humans and animals.
Zoonotic diseases, which transfer from animals to humans, are frequently mentioned as potential triggers for pandemics.
Friends of Jay Slater have failed to appear as witnesses at an inquest into his death – as a coroner heard the British teenager had drugs in his system before he died from a “devastating” head injury.
Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, disappeared in Tenerife after attending a music festival in June last year.
In the early hours of the following day, he is believed to have travelled to an apartment where people he had met were staying – before he went missing.
His body was recovered in a remote part of La Masca village on 15 July following an extensive search of the island by authorities and his family.
The valley where Mr Slater’s body was found in Tenerife
His mother Debbie Duncan, stepfather and other family members attended the inquest into Mr Slater’s death at Preston Coroner’s Court on Wednesday.
Ms Duncan broke down in tears as she told the hearing she still had questions that needed answers.
The hearing, scheduled to last one day, was told extensive efforts had been made to reach several witnesses who were in contact with Mr Slater before he disappeared, which included summonses being issued.
However, a number of witnesses had failed to respond, including Mr Slater’s friends Bradley Geoghegan, Brandon Hodgson and Lucy Law, who were out with him at the music festival.
Jay Slater disappeared in Tenerife in June last year before his body was found the following month. Pic: LBT Global/Slater family
The two men who were staying at an Airbnb that Mr Slater went back to before he disappeared have also not been traced.
Ms Duncan said: “How can we ever get any understanding?
“There’s things we want to question. We want these people to be sat in front of us, because our son went on holiday and didn’t come back, so there’s questions we need to ask.”
Coroner Dr James Adeley agreed to adjourn the hearing, at the request of Mr Slater’s tearful mother, who asked for the witnesses to be brought to court to give evidence before the inquest concludes. A further hearing date has yet to be set.
Earlier, the court heard analysis of Mr Slater’s body showed traces of drugs including cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd detailed Mr Slater’s injuries.
Mr Slater died from a ‘devastating’ head injury, a coroner heard. Pic: PH Build Group
He described “extensive fractures of the left side of his head… extending into the bottom of his skull”.
Mr Slater also sustained “fractures to the left side of the pelvis and hip joints”.
Dr Shepherd said the injuries were “entirely consistent with a heavy fall, from a height, landing on his head”.
Asked by the coroner if there was any suggestion of assault or restraint, he replied: “Nothing to suggest an assault, gripping, holding, nothing of that sort.”
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Dr Adeley asked the pathologist about the impact of Mr Slater’s injuries.
Dr Shepherd replied: “It would have had an immediate and devastating effect on Jay’s consciousness.
“The injuries were so severe I have no doubt he would have been instantly unconscious from the moment of that blow to the head. Death could well have been instant, the injury was so severe.”
Failing that, it would have most likely occurred “extremely soon after” the fall, he added.
Dr Shepherd gave an official cause of death as a head injury.
UK
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A registered sex offender was found with a six-year-old girl after he was detected by facial recognition technology.
David Cheneler, 73, was discovered with the child – whose mother was “completely unaware of his offending history” – after he was identified by a police van in Camberwell, south London, in January.
He was spotted using advanced technology known as Live Facial Recognition (LFR), where live footage is recorded of members of the public as they walk past, capturing their faces, which are then compared against a database of wanted offenders.
If a match is determined, the system creates an alert, which is assessed by an officer.
If suspicions are aroused, the police officer may decide to speak with the individual in question.
The 73-year-old was detected in Camberwell, south London. Pic: Metropolitan Police
When Cheneler was detected on 10 January, cameras alerted the authorities to his status as a registered sex offender.
Additional checks confirmed he had breached his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which prohibited him from being alone with children under 14.
Cheneler was also in possession of a lock knife hidden in the buckle of his belt.
He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.
Cheneler’s arrest was captured on police bodycam footage. Pic: Metropolitan Police.
Lindsey Chiswick, the Metropolitan Police‘s lead for LFR, said it was “a prime example of the variety of uses” of the technology.
“The tool is not only used to find those wanted, but also to stop people on a watch list who have conditions they must adhere to,” she added.
“These interventions are crucial. Without this technology, Cheneler may have had the opportunity to cause further harm.”
Cheneler had picked up the child from school as a favour to her mother, which he had done twice previously, according to the Met Police.
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Detective Constable Adam Pearce said: “Although there were no allegations made towards David Cheneler on this occasion, it’s possible if he hadn’t been identified using this technology, he could have gone on to abuse this child.
“Her mother was completely unaware of his offending history, and along with her young daughter, were both taken advantage of by Cheneler who abused their trust.”
Cheneler was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday.
In January, he pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court to breaching the conditions of his SOPO, and to possessing an offensive weapon.
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