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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Melissa Davey Medical editor

‘Oh my god’: live worm found in Australian woman’s brain in world-first discovery

The Ophidascaris robertsi larvae specimen that was extracted alive from the woman’s brain by surgeons at Canberra hospital.
The Ophidascaris robertsi larvae specimen that was extracted alive from the woman’s brain by surgeons at Canberra hospital. Composite: Canberra Health

It was a fairly regular day on the ward for Canberra hospital infectious diseases physician Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, until a neurosurgeon colleague called him and said: “Oh my god, you wouldn’t believe what I just found in this lady’s brain – and it’s alive and wriggling.”

The neurosurgeon, Dr Hari Priya Bandi, had pulled an 8cm-long parasitic roundworm from her patient, prompting her to call on Senanayake and other hospital colleagues for advice about what to do next.

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