This story may have you second guessing your next meal…
Normally, tapeworms are not something you would expect to find in your food, right?
Recently, a 46-year-old man in Hangzhou, China was hospitalized with a shocking and unexpected diagnosis: an infection caused by tapeworms.
The culprit?
Undercooked pork that Zhu Zhongfa had ingested unknowingly infected with Taenia Solium eggs.
Taenia Solium is a parasitic tapeworm found in pigs and other animals.
When an individual consumes raw or undercooked food contaminated with the parasite’s eggs, the larvae can travel to different parts of the body, leading to serious health issues like cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis.
Infections can cause seizures, loss of consciousness, dizziness and other complications if left untreated.
Zhongfa initially disregarded his physical symptoms but eventually sought medical attention when he started having daily seizures and fainting episodes that lasted for weeks on end.
It wasn’t until he went to the doctor out of concern that his condition could be life-threatening that the problem was identified.
After being referred to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University College of Medicine, doctors were shocked to find over 700 tapeworms living inside Zhongfa’s brain and chest.
When it comes to a tapeworm infection, different patients respond differently depending on where the parasites occupy in their bodies.
In Zhongfa’s case, he had seizures and lost consciousness due to having cysts in his lungs but this may not be the same for other patients who experience coughing a lot as a result of lung cysts caused by tapeworm larvae moving throughout their bodies from when they swallowed them as eggs into adulthood worms up 26 feet long in length.
His neural system may have been affected thus neurocysticercosis developed which can be even more harmful than before.
In order to treat his condition, Zhongfa underwent surgery to remove all of the tapeworms from his body as well as medication to kill any remaining parasites.
Eggs of tapeworms can be found in feces from infected animals thus if contaminated meat is not properly prepared or washed then it can be consumed by people unknowingly like in this case.
Tapeworm infections are preventable by properly washing fruits and vegetables before eating them as well as freezing or heating meat at an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit before consuming it.
This simple yet effective measure could save someone from suffering at the hands of a potentially deadly infection such as neurocysticercosis which could affect ones neural system if left untreated for too long.
Unfortunately for Zhongfa, he wasn’t aware that he had consumed infected raw food until it was too late.
Tapeworm infections can cause serious harm and even death if people aren’t careful enough.
These types of infections occur more often than not according to medical professionals everywhere who urge people not to take any chances when dealing with foods.
But his story serves as a reminder for us all about the importance of taking precautions when it comes to our diets…stay well-informed to keep your health in check!