Worm Living In Human Brain Gets Its Genome Mapped

[jakeXT]

For many years, a Chinese man in the U.K. experienced a range of debilitating neurological symptoms with no understood origin--including headaches, memory loss, and seizures. A biopsy found inflammation in the man’s brain, but they were unable to pinpoint the exact cause of his symptoms.

Then in one final biopsy, surgeons unearthed the source of the man’s neurological issues; they pulled out a tapeworm that had been crawling through the patient’s brain for the past four years. The centimeter-long parasite had travelled more than 2 inches from the right side of his brain to the left, before it was successfully removed through surgery. Now, the patient is doing just fine.

Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute successfully mapped the genome of this man’s particular tapeworm, revealing it to be an extremely rare species known as Spirometra erinaceieuropaei. It marked the first time this species of tapeworm had ever been sequenced, and researchers hope its genetic information will help clinicians better diagnose and treat this parasite infection and others like it in the future.

To feed, it absorbs fats through its skin. Fortunately for the worm, our brains are full of fatty acids on which to munch.

http://www.popsci.com/rare-brain-dwelling-tapeworm-gets-its-genome-mapped

[valerief]

1. Ah, shit, no more raw frog meat eye poultices!

The parasite lives in water, and it’s believed that people become exposed to the parasite by eating infected crustaceans or raw meat from amphibians and reptiles. It’s also possible that human infection occurs when people apply poultices of raw frog meat to their eyes – a traditional Chinese remedy.

[Scootaloo]

2. We are a way for the brain-worm to know itself.

Sorry, Carl.