My eyes are scratchy, could I have an eye worm?
Eye worm stories were all over the news last week.
First up, a woman in Oregon pulled 14 worms out of her eye. This actually occurred in 2016 but was published last week in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
What kind of worm was it?
Thelazia gulosa. It’s a type of worm found in cattle in the US but had never been seen before in humans.
How did she get the worm?
Most likely it was transmitted by a fly. The patient reported she had been horseback riding and fishing in Gold Beach, Oregon, a coastal, cattle-farming area.
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Next, a different patient had a tapeworm removed from his eye after eating undercooked pork.
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Finally, if you weren’t creeped out enough, here is an ultrasound of a worm swimming around the inside an eye.
