A CT scan of a 52-year-old man’s brain, who complained of worsening medication-resistant migraines over a period of four months, revealed the presence of tapeworm larvae-filled cysts—an illness doctors blamed on his lifelong love of undercooked bacon.
The condition, known in scientific circles as Neurocysticercosis, is caused by pig tapeworms, which infect humans through either eating pork or consuming contaminated food and water.
Highlights
- A 52-year-old man’s CT scan revealed tapeworm larvae-filled cysts in his brain.
- The condition, neurocysticercosis, was linked to his habit of eating undercooked bacon.
- The disease remains most common in countries where pigs are a primary food source.
Doctors arrived at the conclusion after it was established that the patient had not traveled to any high-risk areas where Neurocysticercosis is common, which are typically countries with poor sanitation.
The patient denied visiting areas where the disease was common
Image credits: Unsplash / James Trenda
The American Journal of Case Reports reported the anomaly for the first time in 2024 and wrote:
“A 52-year-old man with a medical history of migraine headaches, complicated type 2 diabetes mellitus, and obesity presented with a 4-month change in his migraines becoming severe, worse over his occiput bilaterally (the back of the skull).”
The peer-reviewed scientific literature further noted that the patient’s migraines had escalated to the point where it did not respond to treatments.
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It went on to say the patient’s “exposure history was unremarkable except for a habit of eating undercooked bacon, by which he would have developed neurocysticercosis via autoinfection,” the publication noted.
Following the discovery, doctors placed him on a course of “antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory medications.”
The illness gained increased recognition in the last 20 years thanks to the advent of MRIs and CT scans
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According to the Medscape news platform serving healthcare professionals, the condition has become increasingly common, in fact, so common that as many as 8.30 million people are estimated to have been infected globally.
It goes on to say that the infection is part of a broader disorder that is not specific to the brain.
Said condition, Cysticercosis, is also brought on by tapeworm larvae, and affects “skeletal muscles, subcutaneous tissues and eyes,” and has gained an increased recognition in the last two decades thanks to the advent of CT and MRI scans.
The disease is common in countries where pigs are a primary food source
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The American Journal of Case Reports warns that when occurring as Neurocysticercosis in the brain, along with pre–existing conditions like migraines, it is easy to miss.
The latter is despite the fact that Neurocysticercosis has existed since the 13th century, when civilizations like the Greeks associated it with eating pork.
Today, Cysticercosis is virtually non-existent in countries where the animals are banned, and as the publication states, this further highlights “the strong link between swine and this disease.”
Image credits: Unsplash / Stefanie Poepken
On the other hand, also testifying to this observation, the disease is particularly common “in developing countries and areas where pigs are raised as primary food sources.”
Cases in America are usually imported from developing countries
In the United States, 1,000 new cases are discovered every year, most of them hailing from Latin American countries where the illness is prevalent, according to the American Family Physician website.
This trend was prevalent throughout the centuries, too.
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“Historically, developed countries have not been major hotbeds for infection due to high scrutiny of food safety and sanitary standards,” the American Journal reported.
“However, increased rates of immigration to developed countries from endemic countries have led to a significant increase in prevalence in countries such as the United States.”
The revelation has given rise to a slew of public opinions
Image credits: Unsplash / Engin Akyurt
Image credits: Unsplash / Michelle Shelly
The medical bloc’s revelation has netizens triggered, giving rise to all kinds of opinions.
“That's pork for you...pork has worms. Even if cooked they don’t die...I hear an experiment of coke pouring it on pork it removes worms... good for me I don’t eat,” wrote one person.
Image credits: Biomed Central
“Pork in the UK, where food standards are high, is free of tapeworms, so I was taught at school,” declared another, before taking a stab at US food safety controls.
“I wonder where that poor chap was getting his bacon, presumably somewhere with less than perfect food standards,” she said.
“I wonder where that poor chap was getting his bacon, presumably somewhere with less than perfect food standards,” she said.
The internet is calling it "nightmare fuel"
