Scientific breakthrough is great but shudderworthy

This is a true scientific breakthrough, and one that may help millions of infected people eventually. Researches have produced a draft genome and used it to perform a 'comparative analysis to help investigate drug targets in the species'. (Which is Spirometra erinaceieuropaei.)

It's where and how the DNA for the research was obtained that gave me an involuntary shudder - or two. It was from a 50-year-old patient in the South of England who presented with headaches, seizures, impaired smell and memory, and pain.

No wonder, really, when he'd had a giant tapeworm ( aka Spirometra erinaceieuropaei) migrating across his brain for four years. I cannot tell you the nightmares this invokes for me! I read somewhere the horrible things can come out of a person's nose....aargghhh.

He's well now, unbelievably!

Research PDF: http://genomebiology.com/content/pdf/s13059-014-0510-3.pdf

Less clinical report, with a pic. That I just can't bring myself to post. Sorry: http://beforeitsnews.com/science-an...-in-uk-mans-brain-for-four-years-2733418.html

Quote from the news article is the most I can manage with this, then I'm off.

'A 50 year old UK man who began to experience distressing symptoms including seizures, headaches, strange smells and memory impairment had his doctors baffled. It took the medical team four years to find and analyze the real cause. A rare exotic visitor from the Far East had hitched a ride on the man’s brain and was burrowing its way around inside.

The unwanted guest was a tapeworm, Spirometra erinaceieuropaei, which has been reported only 300 times worldwide since 1953. This was the worm’s first ever visit to the UK and it wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice as a traveling companion.'

http://beforeitsnews.com/science-an...-in-uk-mans-brain-for-four-years-2733418.html

Cue Pink Floyd!

The man was lucky his doctor continued to try to find out what the problem was, he could tragically have been dismissed as early onset dementia. Then he would have had to keep going from doctor to doctor until he found a doctor who was interested enough to keep trying to find out what the problem was.
Imagine how good the man must feel now.!!!!!!!

It has taken me all day to cope with this horrible tapeworm. I think you are right about the possibility that there must be a lot more people infected with it, now they have the diagnosis and the genetic code this could help a lot of other sufferers.

Zwiebel, I am going to have nightmares about this, it has given me the creeps all day. aagghh is right !!!!!!