Parasites can infect your brain and body if you are eating this undercooked meat. Doctor shares 'craziest CT scan'

Undercooked pork can cause serious parasitic infections in humans, according to a doctor who shared a chilling CT scan of a patient's body.

Dr. Sam Ghali explains that humans become infected with Taenia solium by consuming cysts found in undercooked pork. These cysts typically evolve within 5-12 weeks in the gastrointestinal tract into mature adult tapeworms, a condition known as Intestinal Taeniasis.

These adult tapeworms shed eggs, which are excreted in human feces. It’s crucial to understand that the clinical syndrome known as Cysticercosis develops only when these eggs are ingested through fecal-oral transmission.



Once ingested (by humans or pigs), the eggs release larvae that penetrate the intestinal wall, enter the bloodstream via mesenteric venules, and can spread to nearly any part of the body, he explained.

The most common areas affected are the brain, eyes, subcutaneous tissues, and skeletal muscles, Dr. Ghali noted.

The most dangerous scenario occurs when the larvae travel to the brain and form cysts in the brain tissue itself. This condition, called neurocysticercosis, can result in headaches, confusion, seizures, and other serious neurological complications, he warned.

Dr. Ghali said that though the prognosis for cysticercosis is generally good, it can be fatal. As per estimations, around 50 million people worldwide are infected each year resulting in about 50,000 deaths.

Dr. Ghali emphasized that there are treatments for these infections, including anti-parasitic therapy, steroids, anti-epileptics (for neurocysticercosis), and surgical removal.

His advice to avoid such infections: "Stay clean, always wash your hands, and never, ever eat raw or undercooked pork.

Earlier, FSSAI warned that eating half-boiled eggs and undercooked chicken in view of bird-flu cases

"Proper cooking inactivates the virus present inside the meat and eggs. Poultry meat and eggs from areas with outbreaks in poultry should not be consumed raw or partially cooked," the FSSAI said.