- An anonymous Russian woman noticed a bump moving around her face, which turned out to be a parasite.
- worm known as Dirofilaria repenscaused itching and burning when moving around.
- The woman’s story was published in a magazine as a case report. New England Medical Journal.
Two things you never want to happen: finding bugs crawling around you. in your face; and that led to it being published as a case study in a medical journal.
Unfortunately, one Russian woman just experienced both.
According to a new report published in new england medical journal, A 32-year-old woman (obviously not named) noticed a strange lump that seemed to move across her face.
The bump first appeared under her left eye and then reappeared on her left upper eyelid 5 days later. After 10 days, it moved to her upper lip and caused some pretty severe swelling. She and her doctors photographed the whole thing, so we have some really gruesome photographic evidence.
The woman said the bump was a little itchy and felt a burning sensation at times (due to the bugs on her face), but otherwise she felt fine. She ended up seeing an eye doctor to figure out what was going on.
As it turns out, the moving bump was a parasite known as. Dirofilaria repens, A type of elongated parasitic roundworm that enters its host through a mosquito bite, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Do I also want to know more? Dirofilaria repens?
I mean, yeah, probably.
In fact, there are three types of Dirofilariae that can affect humans.D. Imitis, D. Regret (this is what was on our Russian friend’s face) and D. Tenuis.
These worms usually only infect dogs, foxes, or raccoons. (for your information: D. Imitis In dogs, it is also called “heartworm.” )
However, dirofilariasis, an infection caused by these worms, is still more common in humans than you might think. In fact, Vladimir Kartashev, a medical professor at Rostov State Medical University who treated the woman in this case study, wrote a study on dirofilariasis in 2015.
His research found that between June 1997 and June 2013, nearly 1,300 cases of dirofilariasis were discovered in Russia and Belarus, many among women who visited rural areas. Ta. The anonymous woman in this case study is believed to have become infected in this way.
Fortunately, D. Regret (also known as the type of nematode most likely to infect humans) is the main cause of dirofilariasis in Europe, but has not been found in the United States. Again, not discovered.
According to the CDC, dirofilariasis is also highly preventable by using insect repellents and covering your skin in mosquito-infested areas (as you’ll know if you’re traveling to rural Europe in the near future).
Doctors performed surgery on the unnamed woman to remove the parasite, and she has made a “full recovery,” the magazine said. Phew.
Bottom line: Dirofilariasis is a really scary disease, but if you live in the United States, you don’t have to worry about it. If you’re traveling to Europe…buy bug spray in bulk.
Colin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, and his work has appeared in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. It is published. She earned her master’s degree from American University, lives near the beach, and hopes to one day own a teacup pig and taco truck.
