Worm found Living inside Woman’s Tonsils!

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Source: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene)

When doctors at St Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo examined a patient with a five-day history of sore throat, they expected to find some hyperemia, swollen lymph nodes, and, maybe some inflammation over the palate. Instead, they were left stunned by a wriggling black worm moving in the left tonsil. 

According to the case study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the 25-year-old woman started experiencing pain and irritation in her throat shortly after consuming Sashimi.

Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of raw fish or meat thinly sliced and usually eaten with soy sauce.

A pair of tweezers helped pull the worm out of the patient’s tonsils. It measured 38 millimeters (1.5-inches) in length. 

The worm was seen to be molting the outer cuticle, revealing it to be a fourth stage larva of Pseudoterranova Azaras, an uncommon parasitic roundworm usually found in fish and marine mammals such as seals and walruses. DNA PCR helped confirm the identity of the worm. 

Tingling throat syndrome – a rare effect of eating raw or uncooked fish or squid

Some people report a tingling sensation along with a cough after eating raw or uncooked fish or squid. This is as a result of the worm’s movement in the throat. People may also experience vomiting and coughing as a symptom, which helps expel the worm out of the body. 

Fortunately, removal of the worm quickly resolved all of the patient’s symptoms. Furthermore, all her blood test results were also seen to be normal. 

The cause of infection is usually ingesting raw or uncooked squid or fish containing the larvae. Infection of the gastrointestinal tract is common with the parasite.

Areas with high raw fish consumption seem to have a higher number of cases.
Over 700 cases have been reported in Japan, North Pacific countries, South America, and the Netherlands. 

While oropharyngeal involvement is rare, the study shows that there’s a rise in the number of cases worldwide as the consumption of sushi and sashimi gains popularity around the world.

Reference:

Fukui, S., Matsuo, T., & Mori, N. (2020). Palatine Tonsillar Infection by Pseudoterranova azarasi. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 103(1), 8-8. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.20-0175

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