UK woman recalls 38 brain parasites after India trip

Lowri Denman has recalled how a trip to India in 2007 led to a rare brain infection that left her with 38 parasites. She was diagnosed with neurocysticercosis, caused by pork tapeworm larvae, after first discovering a metre-long tapeworm in 2010. It led to seizures, headaches and psychosis, and she is among a small number of UK cases each year. 

After treatment, she regained health for years before a relapse caused collapse, hospitalisation and mental health complications. It is one of the rarest parasitic brain infections in the UK, linked to undercooked pork or contaminated food, and Denman now wants to raise awareness of the condition following her recovery, she told BBC.