Cook pork properly if you don't want parasites to do this to your body: Horrific CT scan reveals 'Cysticercosis'

What happens if a person consumes raw/undercooked pork? Indigestion is the least of the concerns as parasitic infections with life-threatening complications can be caused by pork tapeworms.

The discussion over pork consumption hit the internet after an Emergency room physician called Dr. Sam Ghali shared a CT scan of a patient’s leg muscles overtaken by a parasitic infection on X. What was described as "one of the craziest CT scans I’ve ever seen", it showed the condition of a patient with “cysticercosis” infection.

“Cysticercosis” is caused by the larvae of the parasite Taenia solium, commonly referred to as “Pork Tapeworm.” 

“Humans become infected with T. solium by ingesting cysts that can be found in undercooked pork,” Dr Ghali wrote. They will appear as little white specks in the CT scans and are called “rice grain calcifications.”

Cysticercosis occurs when the tapeworm larvae infect human tissues. Once inside the human body, the larvae hatch and “penetrate the intestinal wall and invade into the bloodstream.” They have the ability to spread throughout the host's body before forming a hard calcified cyst in the muscle or even brain. From the outside, these may feel like lumps under the skin, reports said.

Trouble begins if these larvae refuse to settle down and reach the brain of the host. If cysts are formed in brain tissue, the person may suffer severe consequences. “This specific condition is known as neurocysticercosis. It can lead to headaches, confusion, seizures, and other serious neurologic problems,” the physician jotted.

Humans infected with adult T. solium worms are asymptomatic or have mild gastrointestinal complaints. They may see proglottids in their stool, medical websites claim. Depending on the location and number of cysticerci, patients with neurocysticercosis may present with seizures, signs of increased intracranial pressure, hydrocephalus, focal neurologic signs, altered mental status, or aseptic meningitis.

“The prognosis for cysticercosis is generally good, but unfortunately, some cases are fatal. It's estimated that around 50 million people worldwide are infected each year, resulting in approximately 50,000 deaths,” Ghali said.

"Treatment options include anti-parasitic therapy, steroids, anti-epileptics (neurocysticercosis), and surgical removal. So the moral of the story here is do your best to keep clean, always wash your hands, and never, ever eat raw or undercooked pork," he concluded.