A horrifying tapeworm that has never been seen before in humans was found in a three-year-old boy from South Australia after he ate raw fish that his dad caught.
The boy, who fell ill last year, was infected with Pacific Broad Tapeworm, Murdoch University parasitologists reported this week.
Finding from the reports say the tapeworm is usually found in fish eating mammals.
‘While symptoms are generally mild, and were not significant for this patient, our findings and reports from the last 90 years suggest these tapeworms are endemic in fish-eating mammals found off the Australian coast, and more human cases can be expected.
Adding, ‘People who eat fresh, raw marine fish are most at risk.’
The child regularly dined on the spoils of his father’s fishing trips. He was treated by doctors and made a full recovery.
