Things Not to Eat - Raw Frogs

Here is one to put on the list of Things Not to Eat: raw frogs.

A 32 year old woman suffered a rare parasitic infection of the lungs after eating a raw frog.  The larvae, or spargana, of Spirometra mansoni, a type of tapeworm.

The larvae, or spargana, of S. mansoni cause a parasitic infection called sparganosis. "After S. mansoni larvae are swallowed, they migrate into various body tissues and organs. In the woman's case, they accumulated in her lungs — a very rare destination for the parasite."

https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/diagnostic-dilemma-a-woman-got-a-rare-parasitic-lung-infection-after-eating-raw-frogs
Diagnostic dilemma: A woman got a rare parasitic lung infection after eating raw frogs
By Mindy Weisberger published December 3, 2025
In an unusual case, a woman developed a parasitic infection in her lungs, when more typically, the parasite stays just under the skin.

The patient: A 32-year-old woman in Shanghai

The symptoms: The woman went to the hospital with a persistent cough accompanied by occasional bloody phlegm, which she would cough up two to three times per day. She said the coughing began four months prior to her hospital visit. And about a month before the coughing started, she had a fever that lasted several weeks and reached up to 100.8 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius).

What happened next: Doctors at the hospital diagnosed the woman with a rare respiratory illness called eosinophilic pneumonia, an infection in which white blood cells accumulate in the lungs and cause inflammation. If left untreated, the infection can damage the lungs, and in some cases, it can be fatal.

The patient's doctors gave her steroids to reduce the inflammation in her lung tissue. However, her cough persisted even after two months of this treatment. A CT scan of her lungs revealed recurring lesions, or tissue injuries, and she was then sent to a different hospital for further examination.

The diagnosis: When doctors at the second hospital reviewed the woman's medical history, they noted that her diet often included raw seafood, and she also reported "a preference for raw frogs and bullfrogs," the physicians wrote in a report describing her case. The team conducted a blood test to see if her blood contained antibodies to any parasites, and they found antibodies for the larvae of Spirometra mansoni, a type of tapeworm.

The larvae, or spargana, of S. mansoni cause a parasitic infection called sparganosis. This infection is most common in eastern Asia, and people often acquire the parasites by eating raw or undercooked snakes or frogs that are infected with the larvae, evidence suggests. After S. mansoni larvae are swallowed, they migrate into various body tissues and organs. In the woman's case, they accumulated in her lungs — a very rare destination for the parasite.

When the patient provided doctors with a frog from her region of Shanghai, they dissected it and found that it was carrying S. mansoni.

Rest of the article - https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/diagnostic-dilemma-a-woman-got-a-rare-parasitic-lung-infection-after-eating-raw-frogs