Kasturba Hospital Ophthalmologists Remove Live Worm From Four-year-old Girl's Eye
According to the hospital, the child's parents sought medical attention after the redness failed to subside. During the examination, doctors noticed a small pulsating swelling beneath the conjunctiva, raising suspicion of a live parasite
Manipal: Doctors at Kasturba Hospital in Manipal successfully removed a live parasitic worm from the eye of a four-year-old girl after she was brought to the hospital with persistent redness and irritation in her right eye.
According to the hospital, the child's parents sought medical attention after the redness failed to subside. During the examination, doctors noticed a small pulsating swelling beneath the conjunctiva, raising suspicion of a live parasite.
The team led by Kasturba Hospital Ophthalmology Department Professor and Head Dr Yogish S Kamath, with support from Dr Priyal Aggarwal, the anaesthesia team led by Dr Aparna, and other surgical staff performed an excision biopsy under general anaesthesia. They found a thin, thread-like worm alive.
KMC Microbiology Department Associate Professor Dr Vinay Khanna identified the parasite as Dirofilaria repens.
Dirofilariasis is a zoonotic infection spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes, which usually infect dogs and other animals and occasionally transmit the larvae to humans, where they may localise around the eye, Doctors said.
The child has recovered well after the procedure and has been discharged.
Dr Yogish Kamath said that while human dirofilariasis is relatively rare, ophthalmologists, particularly in coastal regions, should be alert to such cases, as early diagnosis and timely surgical removal lead to complete recovery.
“This case reflects the strength of coordinated, multidisciplinary care at our hospital. It is also a reminder to the community about the preventive care of mosquito control and routine veterinary care for pets in preventing such infections,” MAHE Teaching Hospitals Chief Operating Officer Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi added.
