A man complaining of continuous headaches and seizures has learned he has over 700 tapeworm inside his body.
Zhu Zhong-fa, 43, from Hangzhou in east China, was baffled after the symptoms lasted for over a month.
He decided to seek help from doctors at the First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University.
Dr Wang Jian-rong from the department of infectious disease, performed a medical checkup on Mr Zhu and diagnosed him with taenaisis.
He also found over 700 tapeworms across the patient's body.
Tapeworms, known as taenia solium in medical terms, are usually acquired through the ingestion of tapeworm eggs in undercooked or infected pork.
Dr Wang told Pear , a video-sharing platform: "There are multiple presences of space-occupying lesions in the patient's brain.
"It's also in the lungs and fills up the muscles inside the chest cavity."
He added the infections has already 'caused damage' to the patient's organs.
According to World Health Organisation , when tapeworm eggs enter the central nervous system, they can cause neurological symptoms to the patient, including epileptic seizures.
Luckily taenaisis can be treated with laxatives and medicines but the dosage and duration of the treatment may vary due to the severeness of the infection.
Mr Zhu said he recalled he had hotpot about a month ago and might not have cooked the meat thoroughly.
Dr Wang explained: "We tend to have a lot of meat-based meals in our daily lives, like roast lamb and roast pork.
"If it's undercooked, the tapeworm eggs will stay alive when ingested.
"And if you have had the uncooked meat, there's a chance that the tapeworms can travel through the body and inflict different diseases."
