Woman's brain worm infection confirmed after eggs grow tails in lab test
Out of nowhere, a woman's right arm and leg started shaking uncontrollably. In the moments leading up to the experience, she seemed well; she had no headache, confusion, or weakness. But for about a minute, half of her body juddered.
The woman, a rice farmer in the Philippines, headed to the emergency department. There, doctors gave her a physical exam and found nothing out of the ordinary. Then they took a look at her brain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a bright cluster of nodules surrounded by fluid in her left frontal lobe. The doctors had an immediate guess as to what they were: worm eggs.
An MRI of the woman's brain showing nodules. Credit: [NEJM, 2026][1]
In [a case report published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine][2], doctors write that they suspected the woman had neuroschistosomiasis, an uncommon complication of an infection with a *Schistosoma* parasitic worm, aka a blood fluke. In the Philippines, the most common fluke is *S. japonicum*. It's also found in China and part of Indonesia; despite its name, it has been eliminated from Japan.
[Read full article][3]
[Comments][4]
[1]: https://www.nejm.org/media/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm2609443?query=MTOC
[2]: https://www.nejm.org/media/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm2609443?query=MTOC
[3]: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/womans-brain-worm-infection-confirmed-after-eggs-grow-tails-in-lab-test/
[4]: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/womans-brain-worm-infection-confirmed-after-eggs-grow-tails-in-lab-test/#comments
*Schistosoma japonicum*-paired male and female worms in copula microscopy preparation.
https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/womans-brain-worm-infection-confirmed-after-eggs-grow-tails-in-lab-test/
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npub1ls…2cgqv
2026-09-22 23:08:01 UTC
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npub1ls4n6xlwcglrwf667mawh047cr3lkxyevnt7lax0wywj9809xgqqg2cgqvPublished at
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"content": "Woman's brain worm infection confirmed after eggs grow tails in lab test\n\nOut of nowhere, a woman's right arm and leg started shaking uncontrollably. In the moments leading up to the experience, she seemed well; she had no headache, confusion, or weakness. But for about a minute, half of her body juddered.\n\nThe woman, a rice farmer in the Philippines, headed to the emergency department. There, doctors gave her a physical exam and found nothing out of the ordinary. Then they took a look at her brain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a bright cluster of nodules surrounded by fluid in her left frontal lobe. The doctors had an immediate guess as to what they were: worm eggs.\n\nAn MRI of the woman's brain showing nodules. Credit: [NEJM, 2026][1]\n\nIn [a case report published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine][2], doctors write that they suspected the woman had neuroschistosomiasis, an uncommon complication of an infection with a *Schistosoma* parasitic worm, aka a blood fluke. In the Philippines, the most common fluke is *S. japonicum*. It's also found in China and part of Indonesia; despite its name, it has been eliminated from Japan.\n\n[Read full article][3]\n\n[Comments][4]\n\n[1]: https://www.nejm.org/media/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm2609443?query=MTOC\n[2]: https://www.nejm.org/media/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm2609443?query=MTOC\n[3]: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/womans-brain-worm-infection-confirmed-after-eggs-grow-tails-in-lab-test/\n[4]: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/womans-brain-worm-infection-confirmed-after-eggs-grow-tails-in-lab-test/#comments\n\n*Schistosoma japonicum*-paired male and female worms in copula microscopy preparation.\n\n\nhttps://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/womans-brain-worm-infection-confirmed-after-eggs-grow-tails-in-lab-test/",
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