Taiwanese woman recovers from rare parasite meningitis after mNGS diagnosis

A woman in her 60s in Taiwan has recovered from meningitis caused by the rare parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis, also known as the Guangdong rat lungworm. The patient, who experienced confusion, slow reactions, and loss of consciousness, was initially treated with antibiotics without success.

Medical teams at National Taiwan University Hospital utilized metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to identify the parasite in the patient's cerebrospinal fluid within 24 hours. Doctors suspect the infection occurred through contact with snail mucus while the patient was gardening.

Experts from the Taiwan Society of Infectious Diseases noted that while traditional methods like PCR and culture are essential, they often require doctors to suspect a specific pathogen beforehand. mNGS serves as a critical tool for identifying unknown or rare pathogens in severe or immunocompromised cases, helping to bridge the gap when traditional diagnostic results are delayed.