Zimbabwean woman claims to have given birth to a worm

A woman who thought she was pregnant for five months has told of her shock after giving birth to a worm. Anna Mbizi, 38, went for regular check-ups at a doctor’s surgery and was told she was pregnant with her third child without the benefit of an ultrasound scan. “I consulted my doctor when I was two months pregnant and was told everything was normal. This was going to be my third baby," Mbizi said.

But on Sunday morning, Mbizi, of North End in Bulawayo, says her world came crashing down after she “gave birth” to a worm in the bathroom. She said: “When I experienced the pains, I thought I was going to miscarry but I was shocked when a worm came out.” Mbizi says her boyfriend has abandoned her, saying: “I really thought I was five months pregnant as I had all the signs and symptoms of a pregnant woman. I am still short of words.



“I am afraid my boyfriend is going to leave me. He really wanted a baby and now that I delivered a worm, I am not his favourite person.” Her doctor described her situation as “unusual”. "I examined the woman three months ago and she appeared to be two months pregnant, but when she came back on Sunday night nothing indicated that she had been pregnant although there were signs of strain on her uterine tissue," said the doctor. “I examined the woman after this alleged incident and could not find any baby. The situation left us to believe that the worm had been acting like a baby.”

The superstitious Mbizi blames her misfortune on witchcraft. She cites a recent confrontation with a neighbour who owes her US$150. “I think my neighbour bewitched me,” she said. After giving birth to the worm, she said, she was advised by friends to “put coarse salt on it so that I’m not cursed again”. She put the worm in a plastic container. "I put salt on the worm and it shrinked, almost dissolving into liquid form. As you can see, there is some blood in the residue," she said, holding the plastic container.