2.6-Metre Tape Worm Lived Inside Sashimi-Loving Girl For Over a Month
The tapeworm was alive and moving when doctors removed it.
By John Lim — 15 Jun 2017, 01:03 PM
Sashimi lovers, you might want to look away now.
Doctors in Taiwan have reportedly found a 2.6-metre long tapeworm inside a girl who has an appetite for sashimi.
According to Apple Daily, the 8-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital after she felt discomfort and itchiness at her rectum.
Doctors were shocked to find an alive and moving tapeworm inside the girl. It was quickly removed by surgeons.
The tapeworm was estimated to have lived inside the young patient for more than a month.
The girl's family apparently told doctors that she loved eating sushi, especially sashimi. In fact, doctors said that her illness could've been caused by contaminated raw fish.
Tapeworm infections have the potential of causing life-threatening effects if left untreated
Sometimes a tapeworm infestation may cause no symptoms at all, but they can cause symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, hunger or a loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Another sign of a tapeworm infection is segments of the worms, possibly still moving, inside faeces.
Symptoms can also occur immediately after eating fish contaminated with the little worms
"Some people experience a tingling sensation after or while eating raw or undercooked fish or squid. This is actually the worm moving in the mouth or throat," the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns.