More than 700 tapeworms are found in man's BRAIN and lungs a month after he ate uncooked pork

  • Zhu Zhongfa, 46, ingested the eggs of the parasite Taenia solium
  • He had been having regular seizures and was fainting for a few weeks
  • Doctors said the larvae had reached his brain through the bloodstream 

More than 700 tapeworms were found in a man's body, including his brain and lungs, a month after he ate uncooked pork.

Zhu Zhongfa, 46, ingested the eggs of the parasite Taenia solium - better known as the pork tapeworm - from his dinner.

The construction worker, of Hangzhou in the Zhejiang Province of East China had suffered regular seizures for the few weeks following.

When he went to hospital, he was foaming at the mouth and losing consciousness, local reports said.

Doctors said the worm larvae had entered Mr Zhu's body through his digestive system and then made their way to his brain through the bloodstream.

The larvae - newly hatched worms - get into body tissues and form cysts there. These cysts can then decay and cause infections.

Symptoms such as chronic headaches, blindness, seizures and dementia follow, but may not appear for years after ingesting the eggs.

Zhu Zhongfa's chest was riddled with worms' eggs, called cysts. Pictured, a scan of his lungs shows the cysts as white specks in the black space which represents normal tissue

Zhu Zhongfa's chest was riddled with worms' eggs, called cysts. Pictured, a scan of his lungs shows the cysts as white specks in the black space which represents normal tissue

The cysts had also reached his brain (pictured, the white blobs in a scan of his skull) causing seizures and lack of consciousness

The cysts had also reached his brain (pictured, the white blobs in a scan of his skull) causing seizures and lack of consciousness

Mr Zhu revealed he had eaten a hot pot and he was unsure the pork was fully cooked. The tapeworm with which he was infected is most commonly found in pig meat (stock image)

Mr Zhu revealed he had eaten a hot pot and he was unsure the pork was fully cooked. The tapeworm with which he was infected is most commonly found in pig meat (stock image)

A Taenia solium infection, taeniasis, happens after someone eats tapeworm eggs in contaminated or uncooked pork.

Tissue cysts cause the infection cysticercosis, which are particularly dangerous when they occur in the brain or nervous system, an infection known as neurocysticercosis.

The eggs may also mature into adults in around two months. This can happen in various organs of the human body, as well as the muscles, skin, eyes and the central nervous system.

According to Newsweek, Mr Zhu revealed he had eaten a hot pot about a month ago and he was unsure the pork was fully cooked. 

He sought medical attention after suffering from regular seizures and random fainting over a period of a few weeks.

Dr Huang Jianrong, from the Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, ordered brain and chest MRI scans.

These revealed that Mr Zhu's brain and chest were riddled with cysts of the pork tapeworm.

Dr Huang said: 'He not only had numerous space-occupying lesions in his brain, he also had cysts in his lungs and chest muscles.

'Different patients respond differently to the infection depending on where the parasites occupy.

'In this case, he had seizures and lost consciousness, but others with cysts in their lungs might cough a lot.'

Doctor Huang Jianrong, with the Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, ordered brain and chest MRI scans (pictured)

Doctor Huang Jianrong, with the Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, ordered brain and chest MRI scans (pictured)

A Taenia solium infection, taeniasis, happens after eating tapeworm eggs in contaminated or uncooked pork. Pictured, an adult tapeworm

A Taenia solium infection, taeniasis, happens after eating tapeworm eggs in contaminated or uncooked pork. Pictured, an adult tapeworm

Doctor Huang (right) said they killed the larvae using medication

Doctor Huang (right) said they killed the larvae using medication

Dr Huang added: 'We killed the larvae using antiparasitic drugs and prescribed medication to protect his organs and reduce any side effects brought on by the treatment.

'Phase one of the treatment has now concluded after a successful week. Now we'll run further tests.'

It is still unclear whether Mr Zhu will suffer any long-term effects from the tapeworm infection. 

Cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis are most common in farming communities in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.  

In 2015, the World Health Organization identified T. solium as a leading cause of death from food-borne diseases.

The parasite has been virtually eradicated in the US and tapeworm infections are rare in the UK.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU EAT TAENIA SOLIUM?

A Taenia solium infection, taeniasis, happens after eating tapeworm eggs in contaminated or uncooked pork. 

After a person eats pork containing cysticeri (the larvae), the eggs mature into adults in around two months.

This can happen in various organs of the human body, as well as the muscles, skin, eyes and the central nervous system.

Adult tapeworms may reside in the small bowel for years, reaching two (6.5 feet) to seven metres (23 feet) in length. 

Abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation may arise when the tapeworms become fully developed in the intestine. 

When the larvae enter the central nervous system they can cause neurological symptoms, including epileptic seizures. 

T. solium is the cause of 30 per cent of epilepsy cases in many endemic areas, according to the World Health Organization.

These symptoms may continue until the tapeworm dies following treatment, otherwise the worm may reside in the body for years. 

T. solium is found worldwide but is mostly found in countries which eat a lot of pork, such as Asia.   

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