Horrifying scan of legs infected with parasites from eating undercooked pork

An emergency room doctor releases alarming scans of a patient who was hospitalized after eating undercooked pork.

On August 25, Dr. Sam Ghali — an emergency room physician at the University of Florida Health Jacksonville — posted on X a picture of “one of the craziest CT scans I’ve ever seen.” The CT scan showed that a patient’s legs were riddled with a parasitic infection in the muscles.

The doctor said he uses his platform to inform his followers about medical emergencies and ask them to guess the diagnosis.

Ghali later announced that the patient had been diagnosed with a parasitic infection called cysticercosis.

Cysticercosis is a tapeworm infection that affects the brain, muscles, and other tissues. It is caused by ingestion of larval cysts of the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium).

“People become infected with T. solium by ingesting cysts that can be found in undercooked pork,” Ghali explained. The larvae “penetrate the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream, and from there can spread literally anywhere throughout the body.”

against

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Cysticercosis is often transmitted through contact with tapeworm-infected human feces, contaminated food, water, and dirty hands. It can cause lumps under the skin, and if it spreads to the brain or spinal cord, an infected person may experience headaches and seizures.

Ghali said the infection can be seen on CT scans as white spots, commonly referred to as “rice grain calcification.” He added that the ingested cysts can even develop into adult tapeworms after 5 to 12 weeks.

“The prognosis for cysticercosis is generally good, but unfortunately some cases are fatal. It is estimated that around 50 million people worldwide become infected each year, resulting in around 50,000 deaths,” said Ghali. “Treatment options include antiparasitic therapy, steroids, antiepileptic drugs (neurocysticercosis) and surgical removal.”

“The moral of the story is: do your best to keep yourself clean, always wash your hands and never eat raw or undercooked pork,” he added.