Discovered years after India trip: 38 parasites found in her brain
The infection of Lowri Denman, who lives in Wales, has been linked to tapeworm eggs in meat she consumed in India in 2007. 38 parasites were found in Denman's brain.
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38 parasites have been detected in the brain of 42-year-old Lowri Denman, who lives in Wales. Denman's infection has been linked to tapeworm eggs in meat she unknowingly consumed during a three-month trip to India in 2007.
According to the BBC, Dr. Brendan Healy, an expert in infectious diseases and microbiology, assessed that the infection may have originated from pork carrying microscopic tapeworm eggs. It was noted that the case is of a type that experts rarely encounter throughout their careers.
The first symptom in Denman appeared about three years after the trip. Stating that she saw a tapeworm about one meter long in her stool in 2010, Denman consulted a doctor. However, no negative findings were encountered in the tests performed at that time.
Denman, who began experiencing severe headaches within a year, had her first epileptic seizure in 2011. Subsequent brain scans revealed 38 parasites in her brain.
Denman, who was treated with anti-parasitic drugs and steroids, showed improvement in her health for a while. However, after falling ill again, Denman was treated in a neuropsychiatric hospital for 6 weeks; during this process, she experienced severe anxiety, panic attacks, and symptoms of psychosis.
It was reported that Denman has not had a seizure since 2017 and returned to work in 2022. Nevertheless, it was stated that Denman will continue to use epilepsy medication for the rest of her life.