Brain Worms After a Holiday Abroad
- Sep 16, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 2

A 30-year-old woman from New England went on a three-week trip to Thailand, Japan, and Hawaii. What started as a burning sensation in her feet soon spread up her legs, leaving her exhausted and hypersensitive to even the lightest touch. At first she blamed jet lag.
Doctor visits did not give answers. Only when her symptoms worsened. Confusion. Strange neurological changes. Further tests revealed the shocking truth. A spinal tap showed high levels of eosinophils. A marker of parasitic infection. Genetic testing confirmed the culprit. Angiostrongylus cantonensis, better known as the rat lungworm.



