Written By: Shaloo Tiwari | Updated : September 25, 2017 5:45 PM IST
This news hailing from Mexico might chill your spine. A 17-year-old boy went blind because of the most shocking thing possible. A worm went inside his eyes and caused him to lose his sight. This parasite, a flatworm, dug a hole in his eye and entered it because of which the boy cannot see, permanently. According to a few media reports, it is said that the worm had been there for three weeks causing him severe pain and discomfort. He wasn't able to see properly that time. The worm eventually reached his retina and caused full eyesight loss, permanently. After the operation, the ophthalmologists found out that the worm had created holes through the iris and the hole is rooted deep in his retina causing him to lose his vision completely. Here's the video:
This three-millimetre parasite is identified as a trematode which is a type of flatworm. These types of worms are recognized as a group of emerging parasites in the tropical countries. These kinds of parasitic worms can enter the body in various forms. According to a study[1], parasitic worms, such as soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomes were very common in the 1940s. Helminths still continue to affect hundreds of people today and are the most common. According to another study[2] on parasitic worms, the trematode is identified as the cause of ocular granulomas that developed children who didn't have access to clean water. However still disease caused by helminths are a major public health concern worldwide because of poor hygiene, limited public health education and lack of medical resources.
[1] Acka, C. A., Raso, G., N'Goran, E. K., Tschannen, A. B., Bogoch, I. I., S raphin, E., Utzinger, J. (2010). Parasitic Worms: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Western C te d'Ivoire with Implications for Integrated Control. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 4(12), e910. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000910
[2] Arya, L. K., Rathinam, S. R., Lalitha, P., Kim, U. R., Ghatani, S., & Tandon, V. (2016). Trematode Fluke Procerovumvarium as Cause of Ocular Inflammation in Children, South India. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 22(2), 192 200. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2202.150051
Video and image: YouTube/ The AIO Entertainment
