Doctors were stunned to see a 59-foot-long tapeworm in a 67-year-old man’s rectum.
The man went to a hospital in Nong Khai, Thailand, after experiencing extreme flatulence and stomach cramps.
A stool sample was then sent to the Parasitic Disease Research Center where lab tests revealed that it contained 28 eggs.
The patient was given deworming medicine before the long parasite came out of his bottom the next morning.
“A Taenia saginata bovine tapeworm more than 18 metres long was obtained from a patient whose sample was sent to the centre,” a spokesperson for the Parasitic Disease Research Center said.
“He was given the deworming medication before bedtime and in the morning this long worm came out of his bottom. It was very big and took us a while to lay it all out on the ground.”
Medics believe the tapeworm came from raw beef that contained eggs. Doctors also said that the parasite was the biggest they had found in the country for five decades.
The elderly man was given medication and was advised to change the way he prepares his meals.
“Transmission is caused by eating raw beef. These parasites can live in humans for more than 30 years,” Dr. Schawanya Rattanapitoon said.
“However, currently, they do not survive very long because better medication is available. But this tapeworm was very long,” the doctor continued.
“According to past information, it is the longest that has been seen in Thailand for 50 years.
“We have suggested that the patient’s family also have medical tests to find out whether they had parasites as they are also at risk. We warned them not to continue consuming raw meat as that is one of the main causes of having parasites in the body.”
Taenia saginata, also known as beef tapeworm, can live in the human digestive tract for up to 30 years. Humans can get infected when they eat undercooked or raw beef which contains the larvae.
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