Brain surgeon pulls out live worm - 9th October 2023

It was a typical day in Canberra until one neurosurgeon made a surprising discovery. She yelled, "You wouldn't believe what I just found in this lady's brain – and it's alive and wriggling."

Then, Dr Hari Priya Bandi extracted a live roundworm, measuring eight centimetres, from the 64-year old patient's brain. It was something she and her fellow doctors had never witnessed before.

Prior to this surgery, the Australian patient had been suffering from a cough, stomach issues and a fever for nearly 12 months, before also experiencing depression and forgetfulness. In 2022, a brain scan indicated she had unusual abnormalities, leading doctors to operate on her.

Afterwards, doctors sent off the live worm to a parasite laboratory and it was quickly recognised as Ophidascaris robertsi, generally found in carpet python snakes. Doctors assume the woman had accidentally picked up the worm eggs while searching for food growing wild.

"The invasion of the brain by Ophidascaris larvae had not been reported previously" said expert Mehrab Hossain. What was unusual in this case, was the fact there'd been no evidence that the larvae had first developed in domestic animals like dogs and cats.

But while this is the first recorded case of this infection, there are instances of similar kinds. For example, Naegleria fowleri is a freshwater amoeba which enters human swimmers' brains via their noses and usually results in death.

The Australian National University has reported that 30 new kinds of infections have appeared in the last 30 years, with three-quarters transferring from animals to humans. For diseases expert Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, following Coronavirus, the brain worm case is a warning. It's vital, according to him, to keep a close eye on any developing diseases.

"It is really important for epidemiologists… and governments to make sure they've got good infectious diseases surveillance around."