Surgeons remove live parasite from Calif. man’s brain - KTVQ.com | Q2 | Continuous News Coverage | Billings, MT
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CBS San Francisco reports Luis Ortiz was just about to begin his senior year at Sacramento State when he was visiting his mother in Napa in August, and got the worst headache of his life.
Luis’ mom called 9-1-1, and paramedics rushed him to Queen of the Valley Medical Center. A brain scan revealed he had a tapeworm in his brain, requiring immediate surgery. The doctor later told Luis that at that point, he had only about 30 minutes to live.
Doctors used a tool with a camera to perform emergency brain surgery and discovered the larvae of a parasitic tapeworm that had formed in a cyst blocking off circulation inside Luis’ brain.
“The doctor pulled it out and he said it was still wiggling, and I’m like, ’Ugh, that doesn’t sound too good.’ Like, what are the odds I’d get a parasite in my head?” Luis said.
Doctors told Luis there were a few ways the parasite could have gotten inside his body.
“They told me it was uncooked pork or if I went swimming in the river or if I’ve been to a third world country and I was like, ’I haven’t done any of that recently.’ But I don’t know how long that worm was in my head for,” Luis said.
