Dogs and other carnivores are susceptible to the filarial nematode known as Dirofilaria repens. Infectious microfilariae are spread by mosquitoes, just like other filaria species.
As aberrant hosts, humans are susceptible to infection, which typically shows as a single subcutaneous nodule. The worm may, however, migrate beneath the skin.
Various parts of the world, primarily Europe, Africa, and Asia, have reported infections.
Now, a woman who was mystified by itchy, moving lumps on her face got a surprising and somewhat horrifying diagnosis: they were made by a worm! And while people are often criticized for taking too many selfies, in this case, selfies may have saved a life.
According to a report, a series of selfies helped a woman identify a parasite in her face. After observing a bump on her face for two weeks that appeared to be moving around beneath her skin, the woman sought medical help. And it turned out that the bump was actually a very long parasitic worm.
“She had first noted a nodule below her left eye. Five days later, it had moved to above her left eye, and 10 days after that to the upper lip,” Vladimir Kartashev, M.D. and Fernando Simon, Ph.D. wrote in the case study in the New England Journal of Medicine along with parasitologist Fernando Simon of the University of Salamanca in Spain.
The bump was accompanied by intermittent itching and burning, but she reportedly had no other symptoms, unless you count her skin crawling — literally.
“She documented these changes by taking photographs of her face (i.e. ‘selfies’),” Dr. Kartashev added.
“These nodules occasionally caused a localized itching and burning sensation, but otherwise she had no symptoms.”
The moving object under her left eyelid was located by the doctor, who was able to remove it surgically. Mosquitoes spread the parasitic worm Migrating Dirofilaria repens, which is most frequently seen in animals but can also infect humans. In this instance, experts speculate that she might have acquired the worm during a recent trip to a remote region of Russia.
The parasite is a cousin of the heartworm it cannot reproduce in humans, which is good news. The bad news is that if you contract it, a worm is living beneath your skin.
But imagine having a parasite that can grow to be as long as six inches living inside your bodily system!
Typically, the physical harm is negligible, and removing the worm solves the problem. However, patients occasionally experience severe reactions. According to a 2009 report, a German traveler who contracted the same species of the parasite in either India or Sri Lanka experienced severe brain inflammation known as meningoencephalitis.
The patient in Russia fared better. “After removal of the worm, the patient had a full recovery,” Kartashev and Simon wrote.
Sources: AWM, Opera, Opposingviews
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