Over a decade ago, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said multiple neurologists checked him out after he had concerns about severe memory loss. One doctor believed it was due to a parasite eating part of his brain, Kennedy said.
The New York Times detailed the independent presidential candidate’s experience with the dead parasite and other health concerns after reviewing a 2012 deposition that was taken during his divorce proceedings from his second wife.
When he first sought medical experts to figure out the source of his cognitive issues, doctors concluded a dark spot found on Kennedy’s brain scans was a tumor, according to The Times. But one doctor, from New York-Presbyterian Hospital, apparently told him the dark spot was the remnants of a parasite.
Kennedy said tests thereafter showed no change in the spot on his brain, The Times reported.
Kennedy also said he was diagnosed with mercury poisoning around the same time, likely from eating too much fish, said The Times. The condition can cause damage to the nervous system, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention Control.
It was unclear where Kennedy may have consumed the parasite, which experts told The Times was likely pork tapeworm larva based on what he described in the deposition.
The 70-year-old third-party candidate told The Times in an interview this winter that he had recovered from the memory loss and brain fog and had no ongoing symptoms from the apparent parasite in his brain. He also reportedly told The Times he did not require treatment for the issue.
According to the CDC, symptoms from consuming tapeworm eggs can happen months to years after an infection. Most often those symptoms include seizures and headaches, but the CDC said confusion and lack of attention span are also known to occur.
The topic of health and overall fitness has come up several times in regard to the presidential election, as 81-year-old President Joe Biden and 77-year-old former President Donald Trump are the two oldest candidates to ever vie for the White House.
None of the candidates have publicly released any medical records, although President Biden's doctor said he "continues to be fit for duty" after conducting an annual physical back in February.
Politics