A 61-year-old woman in Guangdong province, China, was discovered to have a live parasite in her brain after years of suffering from unexplained neurological symptoms, with doctors later linking the infection to a traditional folk remedy used during her childhood.
According to mainland media reports, the woman, identified as Li (pseudonym), had sought medical help since 2021 after developing symptoms including numbness in her limbs, tremors, and episodes of severe chills despite hot weather conditions.
Her condition worsened over time, with sudden seizures, loss of consciousness, and suspected neurological disorders such as stroke and brain tumours, leading to repeated misdiagnoses across multiple hospitals.
At one point, doctors prepared for brain surgery after imaging suggested a possible tumour, but the procedure was halted when further review raised doubts about the diagnosis.
She was later referred to a specialist neurosurgery centre in Guangdong, where doctors identified signs consistent with a parasitic infection after noticing tunnel-like traces in brain scans.
Medical experts eventually diagnosed her with a rare condition caused by a parasite commonly linked to consumption of undercooked or contaminated wildlife, and surgery successfully removed a live parasite measuring around 8 centimetres from her brain.
Doctors said her symptoms improved significantly after the operation.
The patient reportedly recalled that when she was a teenager, she had suffered severe toothache and was treated with a traditional folk remedy involving placing a frog leg into a tooth cavity, believed to “draw out tooth worms.” She also had a history of consuming raw wildlife products and herbal alcohol infusions.
Medical professionals have since warned that parasites such as sparganum can be transmitted through raw or contaminated food and wildlife exposure, and may migrate to vital organs including the brain, causing potentially irreversible damage.
They urged the public to avoid unverified traditional remedies and maintain proper food hygiene to reduce the risk of serious parasitic infections.
