British woman finds 38 parasites in brain after India trip

The first sign that something was wrong came in 2010 when Laura Denman noticed a roughly one-meter-long tapeworm segment in the toilet. She flushed it and consulted her GP, but stool tests came back normal. A year later, she began suffering severe headaches and had her first epileptic seizure, which led to hospitalization.

CT and MRI scans revealed 38 parasites in her brain. Initially, doctors suspected toxoplasmosis, but after Laura mentioned the tapeworm, she was diagnosed with neurocysticercosis – a rare condition caused by the larvae of the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) lodging in the brain.

Laura likely became infected during a three-month trip to India in 2007. She had given up meat before the journey to reduce the risk of food poisoning, but may have unknowingly consumed food contaminated with microscopic tapeworm eggs. According to the World Health Organization, infection can also occur from undercooked pork, contaminated water, or poor hygiene.

Treatment included antiparasitic drugs and steroids, and initially seemed successful. For several years, Laura felt well – she traveled, moved to Bristol, took circus classes, and ran half-marathons. But then she suddenly lost consciousness at work. Scans showed swelling around the parasites. She became confused, experienced numbness and tingling, and had to quit her job and move in with her father in Carmarthen.

The illness also triggered paranoia, psychosis, and panic attacks, leading to a six-week stay in a neuropsychiatric hospital. Recovery took years. She returned to work only in 2022. The parasites have now calcified and are no longer dangerous, but she must take anti-epileptic medication for life.

Her doctor, Brendan Healy, said this is a once-in-a-lifetime case and extremely rare in the UK, with only a handful diagnosed annually. Laura now wants to share her story to raise awareness about the disease.