While a fly hovering and attempting to enter one's eye is often considered a nuisance, it can have severe consequences. This is what happened to a 10-year-old boy whose experience with a fly turned into a nightmare.
Fly Enters Boy's Eye
According to News Week, a fly entered the eye of a 10-year-old boy and caused more of a nuisance, resulting in a painful experience later on. The boy, from Tatvan, Turkey, didn't first think much of the incident until he started suffering from extreme pain several days later.
Upon experiencing severe eye pain, the boy's parents took him to the hospital for an examination. At the Tatvan State Hospital Eye Polyclinic, they discovered eight live fly larvae under his left eyelid.
Op. Dr. Halil İbrahim Ateşoğlu, an ophthalmology specialist, shared how they found three other larvae under the boy's eyelid, totaling 11 larvae altogether.
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Treatment of Eye Larvae
The doctor highlighted how they spotted the worms and cleaned them under examination of a microscope. He was then given antibiotic drops and was discharged.
Dr. Ateşoğlu said they believed the larvae were planted when an adult fly entered the boy's eye two days before. Despite the shocking findings, News Week notes that this occurrence isn't as rare as some people might think.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology describes this disease as having fly larvae enter a dead or living being, often humans or animals. This disease, called ophthalmomyiasis, can be divided into two types ophthalmomyiasis externa and ophthalmomyiasis interna.
Ophthalmomyiasis externa refers to larvae building on the conjunctiva, cornea, or other external ocular structures. Ophthalmomyiasis interna, conversely, refers to larvae penetrating a person's intraocular networks.
The National Library of Medicine reports that Ophthalmomyiasis is common for animal husbandry workers. These include shepherds or other vocations that require close contact with animals.
The disease is often common in tropical areas and places with poor hygiene, including rural areas with many flies. News Week also adds that Ophthalmomyiasis is common in rural areas, farms, or near the river.
The disease is known worldwide and, if left underreported, could add to morbidity.
How the Larvae Infest
While most people know larvae to be worm-like creatures, they have tiny hooks along their bodies, which they use to latch onto their surroundings. Often, Ophthalmomyiasis happens with the sheep bot fly, known as Oestrus ovis.
Often, flies deposit their larvae into places similar to an eye socket, including sheep nostrils. Aside from sheep, this specific fly is also known to latch its larvae onto goats and deer.
Dr. Ateşoğlu highlights that fly eye infestation happens mostly in the summer. Because of this occurrence, News Week stated that individuals experiencing unusual itching or redness should see a doctor, especially if they've had known encounters with flies or similar insects.
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