The presidential candidate at the time commented on the matter on the X platform by saying: “I offer to eat 5 more brain worms and still outperform the president.” Trump And President Joe Biden is in a debate.”
This funny remark was an attempt by the 70-year-old candidate to prove that he was quite fit compared to the other major presidential candidates he was competing with. However, the fact that a worm entered the brain of… Robert Kennedy JrAnd eating part of it and then dying inside it remained stuck in the minds of many.
Neurosurgeon Betsy Grunch explained some of the causes and symptoms of this disease to BuzzFeed, where she said:Brain wormsThey are parasites that infect parts of the body.
“The most common is the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium (or neurocysticercosis),” she added.
The primary way these worms are transmitted to our brains is through pigs, especially when raw or undercooked pork is consumed, which allows these tapeworms to enter our bodies.
According to Betsy, this worm cannot move to the brain, but its larvae can. The worm lays its larvae as soon as it enters the intestines, using our bodies as an intermediary. If the eggs are not expelled from our bodies through feces, they may grow into larvae.
These larvae can spread to other organs through… BloodstreamThis may be transmitted Tapeworms Also from one person to another if the person has unhealthy habits such as not washing his hands well after a bathroom break.
Grunch confirmed that Digestive system He has symptoms of a tapeworm infection, adding: “You will have gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss specifically.”
Although these signs seem like simple food poisoning that can be alleviated within days, tapeworms may silently infect the brain for a long time.
She continued: “It may take months to years for symptoms of brain infection to appear, as symptoms usually do not appear until after the larvae die, and when they appear in the brain, symptoms include nausea, seizures, and headaches.”
She pointed out that there are advanced tests to detect neurocysticercosis, which affects children and adults alike, but she stressed that staying away from raw or undercooked pork and ensuring hand hygiene are the best preventive measures.
