A Chinese man’s “mosaic” vision turned out to be a worm in his brain which may be caused by eating raw snake gallbladder many years ago.
Sin Chew Daily reported that doctors who operated on the man found an 18cm Sparganosis worm in his brain.
According to ScienceDirect, a database of scientific and health journals and articles, Sparganosis is a parasitic infection and most frequently occurs in Southeast Asia, Japan, China, and Korea.
When symptoms started
Li (not his real name), who is from Southern China’s Hunan province, started feeling unwell in April 2024. He also felt a foreign object in his eyes.
There were also mosaic-like floating objects blurring his vision.
The symptoms prompted Li to visit a local hospital for an ophthalmology exam, which revealed that his eyes were normal. However, an MRI scan showed that there was a foreign body in his brain.
However, he chose not to undergo surgery at that time since the symptoms had little impact on his daily life.
Symptoms worsened
Things took a turn for the worse at the end of July this year.
Li began developing serious symptoms such as blacking out, foaming at the mouth, body convulsions and rigidity.
He went to the hospital again, where doctors performed surgery on him and found an 18cm “live” Sparganosis worm in his brain.
Li was discharged from the hospital after 10 days of treatment and observation.
Doctor’s advice
He remembered that many years ago, he caught a snake and wanted to eat it. Li then cut it open and took out its gallbladder, swallowing it raw without breaking it.
The doctor speculated that Li’s consumption of raw snake bile, which is found in the gallbladder, caused the infection.
ScienceDirect also states that humans become infected by drinking contaminated water, eating raw or inadequately cooked flesh of snakes, fish, or frogs. They can also become infected by applying infected flesh to an open wound or the eye.
The larvae may migrate through the loose connective tissues of the opening or passage of the skull base to reach the brain. The live worm is thread-shaped and can measure from 5 to 18 cm.
The doctor advised avoiding raw water, raw meat and applying raw meat to wounds to prevent a Sparganosis infection.
Top photos via Guangdong Radio and Television
