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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Tamsin Rose

‘Freaky’: Australia’s foraging community shocked after parasitic worm found in woman’s brain

Sydney-based foraging expert Diego Bonetto urged anyone collecting food from the environment take appropriate precautions including washing and cooking vegetable matter.
Sydney-based foraging expert Diego Bonetto urged anyone collecting food from the environment to wash and cook vegetable matter. Photograph: Tamsin Rose

Australia’s wild food foraging community has been left shocked after a live worm was found in a woman’s brain following a parasitic infection believed to have been picked up after collecting and consuming greens and grasses from local bushland.

The 64-year-old woman from south-eastern New South Wales last year had an 8cm-long live parasitic roundworm pulled from her brain in a world first. The creatures are usually found in pythons.

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