December 1st 2025.
A woman's worst nightmare came true when she discovered a four-inch parasitic worm living under her eyelid. The 26-year-old woman had noticed a wriggling lesion on her forehead that eventually migrated over to her left eye. Concerned, she went to the hospital where doctors were able to capture a video of the worm squirming beneath the thin skin of her upper eyelid.
After further examination, it was determined that the worm was a Dirofilaria repens, a type of roundworm commonly found in dogs, foxes, wolves, and raccoons. These worms are usually transmitted through mosquito bites, where the mosquito injects a tiny larva into the host's body while feeding on their blood. The larva then grows into an adult worm and can deposit its own larva in the host's blood, which can then be picked up by another mosquito.
Interestingly, humans are not the ideal hosts for this type of worm as their blood does not circulate the larva. This is why the patient, who was from Romania, most likely contracted the worm from her dog rather than a mosquito. However, when humans do become infected, they can develop worms in their lungs, under their skin, or even around their eyes.
In this case, the woman had only experienced symptoms for a day, but upon further questioning, she revealed that a month earlier she had a small nodule on her right temple that disappeared just before her eye became swollen. This is a common occurrence with these types of worms, where a small nodule develops at the site of inoculation and then slowly grows into a worm over a period of months.
Fortunately, after the worm was surgically removed, the woman did not experience any further physical symptoms. However, the thought of having a worm living under her eye is enough to traumatize anyone. And this is not the only case of a parasitic worm causing havoc in someone's body. In 2019, a British man suffered from a parasitic worm crawling up his penis and laying eggs inside him after swimming in Lake Malawi.
The man, James Michael, 32, was diagnosed with bilharzia and had to use crutches for four months while also experiencing digestion and toilet problems. He shared his story to warn others about the dangers of swimming in areas where there is a risk of waterborne diseases. So next time you go for a swim, make sure to do your research and take precautions to avoid any unwanted guests in your body.
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