Woman in Australia Found with Live Python Parasite in Brain After Consuming Contaminated Food

A 64-year-old woman in Australia had a 3-inch roundworm removed from her brain, identified as Ophidascaris robertsi, a parasite found in carpet pythons.
The woman had experienced over a year of recurring symptoms before doctors identified a worm in her brain during testing.
It's believed she ingested parasite eggs while collecting greens near a lake inhabited by pythons, allowing the infection to occur.
Anti-parasitic treatment improved her symptoms, but monitoring continues given the unprecedented nature of this worm infecting a human brain.
The case underscores the importance of food hygiene when consuming foraged plants that may have animal contamination.