Alarming Discovery: Doctors Find 8 cm Python Parasite in Human Brain

Doctors have discovered an 8-centimetre parasitic roundworm in the brain of a 64-year-old woman from New South Wales, Australia. The discovery represents a historically alarming and extremely rare medical condition.

The medical team found the parasite lodged in the frontal lobe of the woman’s brain. The condition caused severe organ damage and severe memory impairment.

The incident began when the patient was hospitalised for abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dry cough, and night sweats lasting three weeks. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed inflammation in the lungs, liver, and spleen, along with elevated eosinophil white blood cells—a sign that the body was fighting a parasitic infection.

The patient’s condition did not improve despite receiving steroid treatment and initial medication. She continued to experience respiratory problems for months. A year after her initial visit, the patient’s mental condition began to decline; she exhibited symptoms of depression and frequent memory loss (amnesia).

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain subsequently detected a lesion or tissue damage in the right frontal lobe. When the medical team performed an open biopsy to examine the tissue, they were shocked to discover a bright red, thread-like structure still moving within the patient’s brain.

Based on findings published by the CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, the worm was identified as Ophidascaris robertsi. This parasitic worm is typically found only in carpet pythons (Morelia spilota). Consequently, this condition is extremely rare in humans.

Researchers suspect the patient inadvertently ingested worm eggs after touching or consuming wild plants (Warrigal greens) in areas surrounding python habitats contaminated with python faeces. The discovery of this python parasite migrating to the human brain represents the first documented case globally.