RFK Jr. is not alone. More than a billion people have parasitic worms

"A worm ... got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died."

These are words nobody wants to say.

They were spoken by a U.S. presidential candidate. According to a 2012 deposition, uncovered and reviewed by The New York Times, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he sought medical attention after experiencing mental fogginess and memory loss. Eventually, he said, a doctor helped him determine a brain abnormality found on a scan was caused by a worm. He now tells The Times he has recovered with no long lasting consequences.

The story has created a lot of buzz in the world of politics. But it's not just a story about one politician's health history. estimates over a billion people are infected with parasitic worms. The implications are often serious and lifelong.