During his 2012 divorce from wife number two, RFK, Jr. said that doctors found a dead worm in his brain. Initially, Kennedy says, there was concern that he had a brain tumor. But some of his doctors claimed the spot on his brain, revealed during scans, was caused by a worm that had gotten into his brain, ate some of it, and died.
He revealed his deceased parasitic pet to get out of paying alimony, arguing that the worm led to both long-term and short-term memory loss along with a persistent brain fog that affected his ability to get a high-paying job.
He also was reportedly suffering from mercury poisoning at the same time, possibly due to a diet high in fish proteins.
Kennedy’s campaign press secretary, Stefanie Spear, confirmed that Kennedy did indeed have a run-in with a parasite a decade back, but it’s resolved now. Kennedy, Jr. is in great shape, both physically and mentally, the campaign reassures his supporters, dismissing any doubts about his fitness with a chuckle, especially when compared to his rivals.
Kennedy’s alleged affliction is known as neurocysticercosis, a brain infection caused by pork tapeworm larvae. It’s about as rare as a Biden truth, but it does cause hospitalizations in an estimated 1000 to 2000 people in the U.S. annually.
If the worm itself didn’t disgust you enough, the way he was probably infected should finish the job. The infection typically begins when individuals consume raw or undercooked pork contaminated with tapeworm. Following ingestion, they pass tapeworm eggs in their stool, inadvertently contaminating food or surfaces due to inadequate hand hygiene. Consequently, individuals who consume contaminated food or touch contaminated surfaces may accidentally ingest tapeworm eggs.
But wait, there’s more. Once ingested, these eggs hatch into larvae, which can migrate from the intestine to the brain, forming fluid-filled cysts resembling small, clear balloons. Dr. Clinton White, an infectious disease expert, highlights the sticky nature of these eggs, emphasizing the importance of hand-to-mouth transmission in the spread of the infection.
Within the tapeworm family, pork tapeworms most commonly cause neurocysticercosis. Larval cysts from neurocysticercosis typically live in the brain for approximately five to 10 years. As they begin to perish, the body’s immune response targets them, causing inflammation that can result in epileptic seizures or dangerous brain swelling. In regions where pork tapeworms are prevalent, neurocysticercosis contributes to roughly 30% of all epilepsy cases, as reported by the World Health Organization.
Incidents of neurocysticercosis in America are usually “imported” from Mexico, South America, some parts of Asia, and Africa, White explains.
According to Spear, Kennedy “traveled extensively” in these countries for his environmental advocacy work and apparently picked up his little sidekick on one of his trips.
But his claim of the worm feasting on his brain is doubtful. Dr. Janina Caira, a University of Connecticut professor and a “tapeworm specialist,” notes that the larvae lack mouths or digestive systems and obtain nutrients by absorbing them through their body surfaces. Although Caira acknowledged the potential for a worm to cause some “mechanical damage” to adjacent brain tissue, she emphasized that a single larva wouldn’t inflict significant harm due to its minuscule size.
It’s just the latest revelation in the RFK, Jr. story. The presidential hopeful faced a 14-year struggle with drug addiction that started at the age of 15, shortly after the assassination of his father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, in 1968. He acknowledged that he used marijuana, psychedelics, and heroin during this phase. He claims that through the power of faith in God, he overcame his addiction.
Additionally, throughout his life, RFK Jr. dealt with ongoing back pain from a neurological spinal issue, leading him to have surgery. He also has a neurological condition called spasmodic dysphonia, which affects his vocal cords and accounts for his raspy, strained-sounding voice.
Still, despite all this, Kennedy presents himself as a younger, healthier candidate in the upcoming presidential race. With President Biden’s past brain aneurysms, atrial fibrillation, and progressive dementia, and Trump ‘s rather stout physique combined with elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels, he may be right.
But what if Biden’s mental decline is not dementia after all? Perhaps he, too, suffers from a
“brain-eating parasite.” Unfortunately for the worm, it would be starving.
