Social media users have shared an alarming X-ray that displays the image of a tapeworm-infested body.
The image was uploaded on X by Sam Ghali from the University of Florida, who characterized it as one of the “most insane X-rays I’ve ever seen.”
The parasites can have tented within the person’s body as a result of an unlucky misstep they made in the kitchen.
The infection, known as cysticercosis, can be obtained via transmission or by consuming raw or undercooked pork that has been contaminated with tapeworms.
What is cysticercosis?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that the parasite sickness is “caused by the larvae (immature worm) of the tapeworm, Taenia solium.”
“A person gets cysticercosis by consuming tapeworm eggs. It was stated that these eggs will eventually hatch and evolve into larvae.
The larvae then travel to tissues like as muscle, eyes, or the brain after they have penetrated (moved through) the intestinal wall of a human. The development of cysts, also known as cysticerci, takes place here.
While seeing the film, Ghali suggests that the individual may have contracted cysticercosis as a result of consuming pork that was either raw or undercooked.
Cysticercosis, on the other hand, does not spread from eating raw or undercooked pork on its own, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The pig must first be contaminated with cysticerci.
The only method for people to become infected with the virus is to consume food or water that has been contaminated with tapeworm eggs, according to what they further indicated.
According to Ghali, “These cysts can travel anywhere throughout the entire body, with a particular emphasis on the muscular and soft tissue of the hips and the legs.”
“If they are only in the pelvis, they do not present a problem that could potentially be fatal.”
The issue arises in the event that they head to the brain and make their home there.
How to prevent getting cysticercosis
Here's a video I made breaking down one of the most insane X-Rays I've ever seen#FOAMed pic.twitter.com/wp8xtGFTV5
— Sam Ghali, M.D. (@EM_RESUS) January 16, 2025
In the unfortunate event that you consume pork that has been contaminated with cysticerci and is somewhat overcooked, there is not much that you can do to treat the infection.
On the other hand, you can stop it from spreading by maintaining the highest possible level of cleanliness in your kitchen.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “poor cleanliness or sanitation can spread tapeworm eggs to others through contaminated food or water.”
“The risk of developing cysticercosis is increased when one lives with someone who is infected with a tapeworm.”
It is possible for people who have tapeworms to infect themselves with eggs, which can result in cysticercosis, also known as autoinfection.
The unfortunate reality is that “unimproved sanitation facilities,” which are defined as a setting “where there is no separation of human waste from human contact,” place people in developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in a more precarious position.
