If you’re eating a BLT right now, you may want to set it aside.
Unless you’re vegetarian or vegan, chances are you enjoy bacon. It’s a staple of breakfast plates and a key ingredient in the classic sandwich. But for one unnamed man, his love of bacon landed him in the hospital after weeks of excruciating migraines and severe pain at the back of his head.
Anyone who has ever endured a migraine knows how unbearable it can be. Desperate for answers, the 52-year-old sought medical help. Tests revealed something shocking: his brain was covered in cyst-like lesions. Further examination confirmed that the cysts were filled with tapeworm larvae.
We did warn you this would get unpleasant.
These tapeworms are commonly found in pigs and cause a condition known as cysticercosis. Pigs are often infected with the taenia solium tapeworm, and in this case, the man’s brain was riddled with larvae.
Unsurprisingly, he had to spend “several weeks” in intensive care while doctors treated him. His therapy included anti-parasitic medication as well as anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the swelling caused by the cysts.
The mystery of how the larvae got there was solved when the man admitted to his unusual eating habits. He confessed that he preferred his bacon “lightly cooked,” almost raw, because he disliked crispy bacon. Doctors concluded that this “lifelong preference for soft bacon” was the cause.
Health guidelines recommend cooking bacon to at least 145°F to prevent foodborne illnesses. Unlike larger cuts of pork, bacon’s thinness makes it harder to check with a thermometer—but also quicker and easier to cook properly.
Case notes pointed out that “undercooked pork consumption is a theoretical risk factor.” They added: “It is historically very unusual to encounter infected pork in the United States and our case may have public health implications.”
As for safe cooking practices, Food Republic suggests letting bacon “rest at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes before you cook” to ensure quick, even cooking without burning.
“Just a few minutes on your kitchen counter will let your bacon warm up thoroughly allowing it to cook more evenly in the oven or stove top,” they advise.
But they also caution: “Don’t forget about your meat and have it sit at room temperature for over two hours as harmful bacteria could spread through your food if left out for too long.”
You may avoid worms this way—but you still don’t want food poisoning. Now, who’s hungry?
Source: unilad.com