Worm eats through man's retina

[dejr_8]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2010/09/21/ia.worm.eats.retina.kcrg?hpt=T2

 

[LuvOrlando]

Ummm, no I will not watch that because it's not close enough to Halloween for me to tolerate staying up all night.

Can I get a not totally disgusting non-visual summary or is that too much to ask?

 

[Scurvy]

Ummm, no I will not watch that because it's not close enough to Halloween for me to tolerate staying up all night.

Can I get a not totally disgusting non-visual summary or is that too much to ask?

Don't Google - the news story is horrible, too.

Basically, man got parasitic worm in his gut which traveled through his tissue to his eye and was eating his retina, causing vision problems. They killed it with a laser and now the dead worm is floating in his eye. There are only 15 known cases like that in the world. It appears he may have gotten the parasite in Mexico.

 

[SaraJayne]

Lordy, I am *not* clicking that link!!

And you can't make me!

 

[dejr_8]

Lordy, I am *not* clicking that link!!

And you can't make me!

It's a microscopic worm!

But next time you (the general you, not the specific you) have that feeling that something is crawling on your skin keep this story in mind.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

I shouldn't have watched!

Traumatized!

 

[LuvOrlando]

I thought it would be something like that so I will not click the link. I've seen stuff like that on Mystery Diagnosis, gives me the chills just thinking about it. For some reason anything at all to do with eyes just freaks me out, and anything to do with bugs on the body freaks me out so together it's a double whammy. No thank you

My 12 year old son has a new fascination with that new show "Monsters Inside Me." I can't even walk near the room when he & DH are watching . I love to be barefoot and he had a total cow the last time I did it outside. He saw something about some parasite in Appalachia that can go through your feet and wouldn't calm down until we had a geography lesson. We are near the region but not in the region. He settled on the idea that it is ok if I go barefoot in OUR yard but not anywhere else. So cute and a smart cookie

 

[DisMN]

Oh HELL no!! I'm traumatized too..........that last minute or so of them describing when the laser hit the worm. Oh. Mah. Gawd. Barf.

 

[DisneyKT]

No Thanks, I will believe everyone else on this one.

 

[cm8]

Lordy, I am *not* clicking that link!!

And you can't make me!

go ahead and click it !!! I promise, it won't disappoint

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I have heard of people picking up parasites in the eye by wearing their contacts (and keeping them in after) swimming at a water park - here in the US.

so be careful!

 

[Anna_Marie]

 

[LuvOrlando]

I have heard of people picking up parasites in the eye by wearing their contacts (and keeping them in after) swimming at a water park - here in the US.

so be careful!

AAAACCCCKKKK!!!!!!!

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Thank you so much! I was just feeling hungry and was wondering whether I'd stay strong or blow my budget on something to eat. I am no longer facing this dilemna. Perhaps next week I'll be hungry again!

 

[Deb in IA]

This was right here in my hospital!

Glad to see good ol' University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics made the national news!!

I heard about this on the way in this morning, on my news radio show.

Here's more of the story, from our local news station, along with some pretty cool pictures!

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Laser-Used-To-Remove-Worm-from-Cedar-Rapids-Mans-Eye-103303809.html

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Okay, I need new glasses. It's official. I read the title as "Woman eats through man's retina"

 

[Scurvy]

Okay, I need new glasses. It's official. I read the title as "Woman eats through man's retina"

Uh oh. Are you having vision issues? Maybe you have a worm in your eye!

 

[JessicaR]

Truly interesting! I can always count on the DIS to learn me something new constantly.

 

[themilesfamily]

I love this quote from the doctor re: trying to kill the worm with a laser:

“When you hit it with the laser, it got very upset. As upset as a worm can get, I suppose…"

 

[DawnCt1]

I wonder if it was this? It is common in West Africa and in parts of South America.

River Blindness

(Onchocerciasis)

River Blindness, or onchocerciasis (On-kough-sir-KY-A-sis) is caused by a parasitic worm and is spread by the bite of an infected blackfly. Multiple infectious bites are necessary for a person to get the disease. Infected persons may not have symtpoms, but a skin rash, eye lesions and/or bumps under the skin can occur. Eye lesions can progress to blindness.

River Blindness is found in thirty African countries, in regions of six countries in the Americas, and Yemen. Most infected persons are in Africa, and the disease is found most frequently in rural agricultural villages that are located near rapidly flowing streams.