A New Zealand man was left stunned when he went to take a bite of his burger and noticed something white falling out of the bun.
The Auckland man simply assumed it was a ‘blob of mayonnaise’, but then it started moving.
The bone-white blob was rubbery and about half the size of a pinky finger, sliding across the charger of her cell phone.
“This fell out of my burger,” she shared on TikTok. “I thought it was mayo until it started moving. What is this?”
Thousands of people warned her not to eat the stuff and claimed she needed to go to the hospital immediately because it was a parasite.
Dr. Myro Figura saw the viral video and gave his professional insight into the creature.
“This will cause nausea, weight loss and can block your intestines,” she said in a reaction clip.
‘These can grow up to 25 metres long: it’s a tapeworm.’
A New Zealand man was left stunned when he went to take a bite of his burger and noticed something white falling out of the bun.
Tapeworms are a type of parasite that live in the intestines of animals.
Tapeworms are a type of parasite that lives in the intestines of animals. Tapeworms require medical attention; they do not go away on their own.
Humans can become infected by eating or drinking tapeworm eggs or larvae in contaminated meat or water.
If a human or animal consumes tapeworm eggs, they hatch into larvae that penetrate the intestinal wall and grow into cysts in body tissues. In rare cases, they can cause life-threatening damage.
Factors that may increase your risk of contracting intestinal parasites include living in or visiting an area where parasites are known to be present, poor hygiene, exposure to child care and institutional settings, and a weakened immune system.
Additionally, handling soil or waste and working closely with animals can also increase the risk of parasitic infection.
One of the most common ways to contract intestinal parasites is through contaminated food and water.
Foods to be careful of include undercooked meat and contaminated vegetables and fruits.
Sources of contaminated water can be ponds, streams and lakes.
Not washing your hands after using the bathroom or gardening is also said to increase the risk of parasitic infections.
Is Australia facing a parasite outbreak?
Australia is battling its biggest gastrointestinal outbreak in more than 20 years, with an alarming number of young children falling ill.
Cases of cryptosporidiosis, a parasitic gastrointestinal disease, have skyrocketed, with the number of people falling ill four times higher than in the entire year of 2023.
The tiny parasites are found in the feces of pets, farm animals and humans.
The disease is spread in a variety of ways, including contact with someone infected and drinking unpasteurized milk or dairy products.
People can also contract the disease by swimming in contaminated water and should be aware that chlorine does not kill the parasite’s eggs.
Australia is battling its biggest gastrointestinal outbreak in more than 20 years, with an alarming number of young children falling ill
The disease can cause diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting; some people take weeks to recover.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Queensland vice president Dr Aileen Traves said doctors have noticed an increase in infection rates, particularly among children.
Vincent Ho, an academic clinical gastroenterologist at Western Sydney University, said that while outbreaks do occur occasionally, there will be fewer cases in winter.
“We expect the numbers to go down assuming there is no vector of spread,” he said.
Mr Ho said weather events such as large storms and floods spread the parasite, but droughts can also contribute to infection rates by increasing the concentration of the disease in rivers and dams.
Cases of gastrointestinal illnesses caused by bacteria such as salmonella, shigella and campylobacter have also increased.
In the first six months of 2024 there were almost 41,500, a worrying figure if we take into account that in all of 2023 there were 61,320.
To avoid gastroduodenal illnesses, residents are advised to wash their hands thoroughly, especially after touching animals, avoid drinking unfiltered water and not swim after a heavy downpour.
