AUSTIN, Texas — A Central Texas man is feeling much better after doctors took a tapeworm out of his brain.
The patient complained about awful headaches to doctors at Dell Seton Medical Center last year.
When doctors ran some tests, they found the tapeworm.
Doctors believe he may have gotten it from eating undercooked pork in Mexico several years ago.
“This can go undetected for years, so you can eat by accident a microscopic egg from the tapeworm larva and not know it for years,” said neurosurgeon Dr. Jordan Amadio. “They can grow inside the body without causing symptoms until they get big enough.”
Doctors said after surgery a few months ago, he's now leading a normal life.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, a tapeworm infection can be caused by eating raw or undercooked beef or pork. Symptoms can be mild or nonexistent, meaning people may not know they have the infection.
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