A live parasitic worm has been found inside the brain of a 64-year-old Australian woman after she complained of forgetfulness, marking the first case of the infection in humans.
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00:00 So we followed the stereotactic map that we'd created beforehand and could actually dissect
00:09 using fine dissectors where the abnormality was on the MRI beforehand.
00:15 And we did that and found, oh gosh, it's behaving like a tumour.
00:18 And then I used tumour holding forces and lifted out something that definitely was not
00:24 what I was expecting.
00:25 But I said, it's not an artery, we're nowhere near any artery.
00:28 And I noticed it was moving and immediately went, please just get it out of my faucet.
00:33 And it was a vigorously wiggling worm.
00:36 And a veterinary scientist who saw the picture of the worm immediately said, that is a python
00:40 worm.
00:41 Hers had been in her lungs and her liver, but it had now arrived in her brain.
00:48 When the python poos, some of the eggs from the parasite come out as well.
00:52 And we believe that some flora, so some vegetation has gotten contaminated with that.
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