Australian doctors reported a groundbreaking medical discovery when they removed a living roundworm typically found in snakes and kangaroos from a 64-year-old woman’s brain. After the patient experienced memory lapses, an MRI revealed an unusual lesion in her brain, later identified as an eight-centimetre Ophidascaris robertsi roundworm. Infectious disease expert Sanjaya Senanayake emphasized the uniqueness of this case, noting it as the first human instance and the first to affect a mammal’s brain.
The patient’s journey began with symptoms resembling pneumonia, which led to her hospitalization. Despite various treatments, her condition persisted, and a revealing brain scan eventually prompted a biopsy in June 2022. The medical team was astonished to find the actively moving parasite. They believe the roundworm could have resided in her brain for two months. DNA testing identified the worm.
Originating from an area near a lake in New South Wales, also home to carpet pythons, the woman likely contracted the roundworm while collecting native grass. Senanayake warned of the increasing overlap between human and animal habitats, drawing attention to other diseases that have jumped from wildlife to humans.
