En un caso nunca antes documentado en el mundo, científicos informaron que encontraron un gusano vivo de 8 cm en el cerebro de una mujer en Australia. 

La "estructura en forma de cuerda" fue extraída del lóbulo frontal lesionado de la paciente durante una cirugía en Canberra el año pasado. 

"Definitivamente no era lo que esperábamos. Todo el mundo quedó en shock", dijo la doctora Hari Priya Bandi, la neurocirujana que operó a la paciente. 

La mujer, de 64 años, sufría lo que los médicos llamaron una "constelación inusual de síntomas": dolor de estómago, tos y sudores nocturnos, que evolucionaron hacia crecientes problemas de memoria y depresión. 

La mujer ingresó en el hospital a finales de enero de 2021 y, posteriormente, una exploración reveló "una lesión atípica en el lóbulo frontal derecho del cerebro". 

Pero la causa de su trastorno solo fue revelada con el bisturí de la doctora Bandi durante una biopsia en junio de 2022. 

Los médicos dijeron que el parásito rojo pudo haber estado vivo en el cerebro de la mujer hasta por dos meses. 

La mujer, que vivía cerca de una zona de un lago en el estado de Nueva Gales del Sur, se está recuperando bien. 

Se cree que éste es el primer caso que se documenta sobre invasión y desarrollo de larvas en el cerebro humano, informaron los investigadores en un estudio en la revista Emerging Infectious Diseases (Enfermedades Infecciosas Emergentes). 

"Todos en ese quirófano sufrieron el shock de su vida cuando [la cirujana] tomó unas pinzas para detectar una anormalidad y la anormalidad resultó ser un gusano vivo, de color rojo claro, de 8 cm, que se retorcía", dijo la doctora Sanjaya Senanayake, especialista en enfermedades infecciosas del Hospital de Canberra. 

"Incluso si se elimina el factor de asco, esta es una nueva infección nunca antes documentada en un ser humano".

Los investigadores advierten que el caso pone de relieve el creciente peligro de que las enfermedades e infecciones se transmitan de los animales a las personas.

El nematodo -o gusano redondo- Ophidascaris robertsi es común en las pitones de alfombra, serpientes no venenosas que se encuentran en gran parte de Australia.

In a case never before documented in the world, scientists reported that they found a live 8 cm worm in the brain of a woman in Australia. 

The "rope-like structure" was removed from the patient's injured frontal lobe during surgery in Canberra last year.

"It was definitely not what we expected. Everyone was shocked," said Dr. Hari Priya Bandi, the neurosurgeon who operated on the patient. 

The 64-year-old woman was suffering from what doctors called an "unusual constellation of symptoms": stomach pain, cough and night sweats, which evolved into increasing memory problems and depression. 

 The woman was admitted to the hospital at the end of January 2021, and subsequently an examination revealed "an atypical lesion in the right frontal lobe of the brain." 

But the cause of her disorder was only revealed with Dr Bandi's scalpel during a biopsy in June 2022. 

Doctors said the red parasite may have been alive in the woman's brain for up to two months. 

The woman, who lived near a lake area in New South Wales state, is recovering well 

It is believed that this is the first case to be documented on invasion and development of larvae in the human brain, the researchers reported in a study in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. 

"Everyone in that operating theatre got the shock of their life when [the surgeon] took tweezers to detect an abnormality and the abnormality turned out to be a live, light-red, 8cm, writhing worm," said Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious disease specialist at Canberra Hospital. 

"Even if the yuck factor is removed, this is a new infection never before documented in a human being."

Investigators warn that the case highlights the growing danger that diseases and infections it is transmitted from animals to people.

The nematode - or roundworm - Ophidascaris robertsi is common in carpet pythons, non-venomous snakes found in much of Australia.

In a case never before documented in the world, scientists reported finding a live 8 cm worm in the brain of a woman in Australia.

The "rope-like structure" was removed from the patient's injured frontal lobe during surgery in Canberra last year.

"It was definitely not what we expected. Everyone was shocked," said Dr. Hari Priya Bandi, the neurosurgeon who operated on the patient.

The 64-year-old woman suffered from what doctors called an "unusual constellation of symptoms": stomach pain, coughing and night sweats, which evolved into increasing memory problems and depression.

The woman was admitted to the hospital at the end of January 2021 and a scan subsequently revealed "an atypical lesion in the right frontal lobe of the brain." 

But the cause of his disorder was only revealed with Dr. Bandi's scalpel during a biopsy in June 2022. 

Doctors said the red parasite could have been alive in the woman's brain for up to two months. 

The woman, who lived near a lake area in the state of New South Wales, is recovering well.

This is believed to be the first documented case of larval invasion and development in the human brain, researchers reported in a study in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"Everyone in that operating room got the shock of their life when [the surgeon] took tweezers to detect an abnormality and the abnormality turned out to be a live, light red, 8-cm, wriggling worm," said Dr. Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious disease specialist at Canberra Hospital. 

"Even if the disgust factor is removed, this is a new infection never before documented in a human being."

The researchers warn that the case highlights the growing danger of diseases and infections being transmitted from animals to people.

The nematode - or roundworm - Ophidascaris robertsi is common in carpet pythons, non-venomous snakes found throughout much of Australia.