A live 10-centimeter tapeworm was extracted from a Chinese man’s brain after he started getting epileptic fits. ADVERTISEMENTDr. Wang Chunliang, who led the treatment, discovered the worm after blood tests showed signs of the tapeworm Spirometra mansoni. “It was springy, white all over, and could swim.”The president of Shanghai Neuromedical Center, Guo Hui, said cases similar to Liu’s were often found in areas where water supply was deemed unhealthy. Guo said the worm in its egg state might have ridden Liu’s blood stream and got deposited in the man’s brain. “Because the brain receives nearly a quarter of the human body’s blood supply, the possibility of a worm reaching the brain and staying there is relatively higher than for other organs,” said Guo.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 14, 2018 07:23 UTC