• In a medical first, a neurosurgeon performing a biopsy on an Australian woman last year pulled an 8 cm (3.15 in) living parasitic worm from her brain, according to findings published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. Euronews
• The patient, a 64-year-old woman, had complained of symptoms such as stomach pain, night sweats, and a cough, later progressing to forgetfulness and depression. A brain scan revealed what appeared to be "an atypical lesion" on the right frontal lobe of her brain. BBC News (LR: 3 CP: 5)
• During the biopsy, neurosurgeon Dr. Hari Priya Bandi pulled out a living roundworm from the woman's brain. This "once-in-a-career" finding spurred doctors to find the cause of the unique infection, with specialists determining it was an Ophidascaris robertsi roundworm. Guardian (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• The Ophidascaris robertsi is typically found in marsupials that are then consumed by pythons, who spread the parasite through their feces. It's believed the woman became infected by the roundworm by collecting and cooking native grasses that are a habitat for pythons. Al Jazeera (LR: 2 CP: 1)
• This is the first observed case of the Ophidascaris robertsi in humans, as it's believed to have spread from her liver, lungs, and finally to her brain. The doctors warn that human encroachment on animal habitats can increase the risk of animal-to-human, or zoonotic, transmission. NBC (LR: 2 CP: 4)
• The doctors warn that 30 new types of infections have emerged in the last three decades, with 75% of them being transmitted via zoonosis. As the human population grows and animal habitats shrink, the world needs to be vigilant against new types of infections, the team says. BBC News (LR: 3 CP: 5)

Narrative A:

• As we emerge from the COVID pandemic, the world needs to be aware of a new frontier of infectious diseases being driven by population growth and climate change. Research shows that an acceleration of climate change will cause more parasites to spill over into the human population. Unless we take bold action to mitigate environmental damage, novel infections like this will become more common.
  News

Narrative B:

• While diseases that travel from animals to humans are on the rise, science will always be able to provide us with new ways of mitigating the damage. For instance, research done in Africa has found that ants can house a multitude of viral sequences unknown to science. It's just as often that nature poses a problem as it does a solution, and the intense focus on zoonosis in the aftermath of COVID could leave us well-prepared.
  Mongabay Environmental News