A man developed brain cysts due to a specific cooking habit, and here’s how to avoid a similar fate. The patient, whose identity remains undisclosed, was hospitalized after enduring severe headaches and pain at the back of his head for several weeks.
Medical tests revealed that the 52-year-old had ‘cyst-like lesions’ throughout his brain, which were found to be filled with tapeworm larvae upon further examination.
Pigs often carry the taenia solium tapeworm, the cause of cysticercosis, which led to the infestation in the man’s brain.
The patient was treated in intensive care for several weeks as the larvae burrowed into his brain. He received anti-parasitic medication and anti-inflammatory drugs to manage the swelling from the cysts and worms.
The root cause was his preference for ‘lightly cooked’ bacon that was nearly raw. Health experts concluded that this long-standing preference caused significant damage.
While the risk of contracting tapeworms in developed countries remains low, consuming undercooked meats in places like the US can lead to infections.
To prevent tapeworm infections, several precautionary measures can be taken.
Cleveland Clinic suggests practicing ‘safe hygiene’ by thoroughly washing hands with soap and water before food handling.
To avoid foodborne illnesses, health guidelines recommend cooking bacon or similar meats to a minimum of 145F.
Cleveland Clinic advises: “You should cook whole cuts to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit, then let them rest for three minutes before eating. Ground meat should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Smoking and drying meat won’t prevent tapeworms.”
There are also precautions regarding water safety to prevent ‘pork worms’.
“For untreated water sources, boil for one minute before consumption,” advises Cleveland Clinic.
To minimize risk, water can be filtered and must be ‘rated absolute 1 micron or less’ with dissolved iodine tablets included in the filtered water, according to the health site.