When most people think of creepy animals, they tend to think big or poisonous. However, these are not always the terrifying creatures we should fear. Sometimes, the worst (or at least the creepiest) animals come in the smallest sizes. Take the African Eye Worm, which is exactly as terrible as you think.
The African Eye Worm, also know as the loa loa worm, is primarily found in West African countries. It’s a nasty parasite that infects millions of people each year. Here’s what one looks like under a microscope. Not too scary, right? Wait until you see when they look like in the body.
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Humans can contract an African Eye Worm from mago or deer flies, like the one pictured below. The worm larvae are transmitted through the fly bites, and feed on the blood of their human hosts. They typically reside under the skin, and are know to migrate to different places throughout the body. You often don’t even know the worms are there. Occasionally, the moving worms will cause itchy swellings below the skin.
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The worms are not spotted until they journey across the host’s eye. If you haven’t figured it out by now, this is where the African Eye Worm gets its name from.
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When moving across the eye, the worm does not usually impair vision, but it can cause severe pain and irritation.
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There are a range of treatment options available for those infected with an African Eye Worm. The pharmaceutical diethylcarbamazine (DEC) is the preferred choice of physicians. However, surgery may be required to remove the worm in extreme cases.
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The African Eye Worm is mostly endemic to western Africa, but the infection is common for people there. It’s estimated that between 12 and 13 million people are infected with the eye worm at any given time.
