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Brain worms can be deadly
khou. ^ | Monday, November 27, 2006 | Janice Williamson

Posted on 11/30/2006 9:25:08 PM PST by dennisw

A potentially fatal disease rarely seen here has popped up in Houston four times in the past two months. It's linked to tapeworms and their eggs.

He ate at mobile kitchens until he found out food contaminated with eggs from a tapeworm almost killed him.

"He's scared now. He's scared of any food from outside," said Marjorie, his daughter & translator.

The tile worker immigrated from El Salvador 20 years ago said early symptoms were subtle.

"It was a mild headache but it wouldn't go away," Marjorie explained. "It was just there and it wouldn't go away with Tylenol."

Doctors at a clinic gave him medicine for high blood pressure.

A few days later Ramirez passed out and didn't wake up for eight days.

"This is a picture of the cyst," said Dr. Aaron Mohanty, a UT Houston Medical School neurosurgeon.

Dr. Mohanty found the cyst with tapeworm larvae in Ramirez's brain.

It's a disease called cysticercosis.

"If they delayed 12 hours, six to 12 hours more he would not have survived," said Dr. Mohanty. "He was deeply unconscious."

This was Mohanty's fourth case in two months of a disease most often seen in developing countries.

"I think it's just a chance factor," said Dr. Mohanty.

In all four patients the UT Houston neurosurgeon removed the cysts through a small incision in the brain.

"The cycle starts with a human that's infected with the tapeworm," said Dr. Luis Ostrosky with the UT Houston Medical School.

Dr. Luis Ostrosky tells us the eggs from a tapeworm are spread by a human host who doesn't practice good hygiene after using the bathroom.

An unsuspecting victim then eats the contaminated food.

"These eggs hatch in the intestine and go through the gutwall and into the circulation and get stuck somewhere," said Dr. Ostrosky.

(Excerpt) Read more at khou.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cysticercosis; health; houston; medicine; parasites; tapeworm; texas; worms
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To: neverdem

PING


21 posted on 11/30/2006 9:38:37 PM PST by FairOpinion
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To: kinoxi

Yep, among others coming soon.


22 posted on 11/30/2006 9:39:27 PM PST by Atchafalaya (When you are there thats the best)
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To: kinoxi

That is not what I meant. The brain thing is disgusting. The parasite thing is too if you stop to think about it. Just like dust mites in your bed. If I think about those things crawling about it makes me itch. So how many times have you been tested for tape worm? I never have. Makes me crawl thinking about it. There is more than this to eating out--the thought that someone might spit in my food is enough to keep me home.


23 posted on 11/30/2006 9:39:32 PM PST by Snoopers-868th
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To: sinanju

I believe they attributed it to wild/feral hogs.


24 posted on 11/30/2006 9:40:17 PM PST by Atchafalaya (When you are there thats the best)
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To: null and void
Small mobile kitchens often seen at constructions sites, fairs and other temporary feeding locations. I grew up in AZ and they sold a lot of tacos, burros and the like. Others had sandwich's, some had hot dogs.

Here in Anchorage, these servers have to prove they have access to full service rest rooms, have hand wash (hot water and all) service and so on.

Still, I will only eat from the one where I personally know the owner/operator. But then I am fussy about restaurants - having worked at KFC, and all my family at one time worked fast food/restaurants - we have all seen the good and bad.

Nothing wrong with the service, just understand the risks.
25 posted on 11/30/2006 9:41:29 PM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
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To: sinanju
The lettuce e-coli was reported as coming from wild pigs.
26 posted on 11/30/2006 9:43:46 PM PST by steelie (Still Right Thinking)
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To: Luis Gonzalez

Illegal hideous disease alert.


27 posted on 11/30/2006 9:45:10 PM PST by Torie
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To: Snoopers-868th

"the thought that someone might spit in my food"
Be nice to the waiter, tip generously, and never send anything back to the kitchen. And never ask for "well-done" filet mignon;)


28 posted on 11/30/2006 9:45:55 PM PST by Frank_2001
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To: Snoopers-868th
I was in Texas (New Braunfels) about six months ago with a friend. We both got sick at the same time (eating out every night) while driving back through Louisiana. She and I are both fine now but someone screwed with our food at some point. I'm rather hesitant to eat out in general but since that trip I've been rather adamantly against it.
29 posted on 11/30/2006 9:46:24 PM PST by kinoxi
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To: Wormwood
" ... ...must....resist...joke... ..."

...must....resist...joke... about your nickname ... on this thread ...

30 posted on 11/30/2006 9:47:07 PM PST by Rte66
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To: Torie

This poor guy migrated here 20 years ago, and some native-born worm ate his brain?


31 posted on 11/30/2006 9:48:50 PM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Some people see the world as they would want it to be, effective people see the world as it is.)
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To: Frank_2001
Be nice to the waiter, tip generously, and never send anything back to the kitchen. And never ask for "well-done" filet mignon;)

Won't work for me--too many weirdo's today that would spit in your food--just because!! No thanks, I stay home and eat. The food is better anyway.

32 posted on 11/30/2006 9:50:10 PM PST by Snoopers-868th
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To: Wormwood
"...must....resist...joke..."

Oh go ahead and say it! You'll regret missing your 15 minutes of fame the rest of your life!

33 posted on 11/30/2006 9:51:56 PM PST by StormEye
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To: dennisw

This is the most disgusting thing I can imagine. Positively yuck! And what's with "developing countries". What a bunch of b.s. If they were "developing", they'd have already developed proper handwashing procedures. And tapeworms in humans. OMG! I'm going to go douse my pets with their flea poisons right now. Ingested fleas cause tapeworms in cats.


34 posted on 11/30/2006 9:53:35 PM PST by The Westerner
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To: Luis Gonzalez
This poor guy migrated here 20 years ago, and some native-born worm ate his brain?

This was Mohanty's fourth case in two months of a disease most often seen in developing countries.
35 posted on 11/30/2006 9:53:44 PM PST by kinoxi
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To: ColdSteelTalon

Do you have tapeworms? I don't and have never known anyone who has.


36 posted on 11/30/2006 9:54:29 PM PST by The Westerner
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To: The Westerner

Sooooooooooooo, how do you KNOW you don't have a tapeworm?


37 posted on 11/30/2006 9:56:22 PM PST by null and void (To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone. --Reba McEntire)
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To: null and void

I know I don't, but I bet you do.


38 posted on 11/30/2006 9:58:11 PM PST by The Westerner
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To: kinoxi
We agree. You never know what will set someone off. Maybe just a bad day, they want to go home and you came in at the wrong time. Being nice does says nothing (what does that mean to the person who would even consider spitting in food) and tipping good is a moot point because if they spit in your food you can bet the laugh is on you--they person got paid especially good for spitting on your food.

Wasn't it Jesse Jackson that said he used to spit in white peoples food when he worked in a restaurant? And I never forget the scene in Roots where the gal spit in the tea. Just disgusting and couldn't eat if I stopped at a restaurant my gag reflex wouldn't allow it.

39 posted on 11/30/2006 9:58:16 PM PST by Snoopers-868th
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To: dennisw

Every one of those little holes in the brain is the nest of a worm. When they die, their guts spill out and cause inflammation and even seizures.


Here we see the toothy little devil himself.


Here's an explanation of the life cycle. Basically, it is spread by ignorant Turd World savages who crap in their own water supplies at home and don't bother washing their hands in the restroom before they make your restaurant meal here.

-ccm

40 posted on 11/30/2006 9:59:27 PM PST by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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