She Went To Doctors With Sore Throat. They Found Live Worm In Her Tonsils

When a woman in Japan went to doctors complaining of a sore throat, she was probably expecting some medication for a common cold. Instead, doctors found a live worm in her tonsils. According to a case study published in The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the 25-year-old woman from Tokyo recently underwent a physical examination at the Japanese capital's St Luke's International hospital. She told doctors that she had been experiencing throat pain and irritation after eating assorted sashimi - A Japanese delicacy of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces. 

Doctors found and removed a 1.5 inch-long and 1 mm- wide worm from the woman's left tonsil, according to The Guardian. The black worm was still alive after being retrieved using tweezers from her tonsil.

The worm was identified as a nematode roundworm using DNA testing. These parasitic worms can infect people who eat raw meat. Doctors said the worm was a fourth-stage larva, which meant that the patient had probably consumed it as a third-stage larva in her sashimi dish. 

Luckily, the woman's symptoms improved rapidly after the removal procedure. Her blood results also came back normal after that, said the case study. 

This is not an isolated case. According to CNN, instances of illnesses caused by parasite-contaminated food are on the rise in countries where eating raw of undercooked meat or seafood is common. Two years ago, a man in Japan also became infected with roundworm parasites after eating chicken sashimi. He also made a full recovery.