California Doctors Remove First US Dirofilaria repens Worm From 74-Year-Old Man's Eyelid
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 6
California Doctors Remove First US Dirofilaria repens Worm From 74-Year-Old Man's Eyelid
1 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 6
Summary
A 74-year-old California man recovered fully after surgeons removed a Dirofilaria repens worm from an eyelid lump, marking the first documented US case of the parasite.
An insect bite on his lower left eyelid led to pain and swelling, then an 8-millimeter nodule that persisted for five months after MRI initially suggested a benign chalazion.
Lab biopsy and genetic testing identified D. repens, a roundworm usually found in Europe, Asia and Africa and spread through mosquitoes between animal hosts such as dogs or raccoons.
The man reported no recent travel, leading researchers to suspect local transmission; they said southern California's growing Aedes mosquito population could be a factor, though US animal surveys have not found the worm.
The case report, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, said the finding warrants continued surveillance because the parasite's appearance in a new region raises unanswered questions about how long it has been circulating.