Doctors Find Live Worm in Patient's Eye
Part 3: Analysis

Comments: Bizarre as it may seem, the preceding photos are authentic, though the same cannot be said of the accompanying narrative, which is an utter fabrication.
There is no way to determine who assembled the collage, but I did manage to locate the source of the individual images, an article entitled "Anterior Orbital Myiasis Caused by Human Botfly," published in the July 2000 number of the Archives of Ophthalmology, a journal of the American Medical Association.

"Myiasis" is the medical term for a maggot (fly larva) infestation of a living body. In this case, the patient was a 5-year-old boy treated by U.S. Air Force surgeons in a rural area of the Republic of Honduras. "The respiratory pore of a late-stage larva of the human botfly (Dermatobia hominis) was located in the anterior orbit," says the article abstract. "The larva was gently removed under general anesthesia through a small incision in the conjunctiva." The patient was apparently none the worse for wear in the aftermath.

Of botflies and blowflies
It would appear that the article itself was not consulted when this email tale was composed. Neither "bad dust" nor excessive eye rubbing were cited as causes of the infestation in the 5-year-old patient. According to entomologists, the human botfly lays its eggs on the bodies of other insects (such as mosquitoes), which then transfer the eggs to animal or human hosts by direct contact. When a botfly egg hatches, the larva burrows into the host's skin head-first and begins feeding.
This nasty creature is found mainly in Central and South America, but there are other species of flies known to responsible for cases of myiasis in North America, mainly blowflies. According to an epidemiological study conducted in 2000, most instances of myiasis acquired in the United States are the result of blowflies laying their eggs in pre-existing wounds.

None of which is quite as terrifying as the claim that any one of us could end up with a worm in our eye simply by being exposed to too much dust, which helps explain why the true facts of the case aren't circulating with the photos. In folklore, the story's the thing - accuracy takes a back seat to emotional impact, or, as folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand succinctly puts it, "The truth never stands in the way of a good story."

SEE PHOTOS (I didn't view!)
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-eye-worm2.htm

Hi Rabbitears

Thanks for the reply and links. Very interesting (and scary I have to say!). You've probably read my previous posts, I've just finished Humaword, feeling much better, although symptoms persist, albeit not so bad. I'll continue with Huma's advice until I can do a further course of treatment in roughly 90 days.

Think it most likely is ascaris, VERY HARD to get rid of but I will continue the fight and try everything available. I've even read that milk entices them out. Read somewhere that if you sit in a warm bath of milk this entices them out. Some days I'm so desperate I may even give it a try!

I've enjoyed reading lots of your posts and have gleaned a lot of helpful advice from you. Very much appreciated.

Hi Boldyloxx

I'm quite new to the forums here but they have been full of helpful information for me to try.

You've probably seen some of my posts, I'm making progress, albeit sometimes a bit slow. I'm just ordered a zapper and am going to give that a go as well. Have been on different herbs for quite a while and want to stay off them in case I've created a super beast! Huma has recommended I stay off for at least 90 days and they are going to give me an extra strength dose. As I've said, I've been ill for over 3 years but the progress I have made has made my life more bearable. Some days I would be in tears it was so bad. Can still feel them moving in my body, especially my legs, like squiggly, jerky movements and no it's not my nerves twitching! I can tell.

What have you been suffering from? Do you know?

I can only tell you that I did get "results" from Huma (saw them), I'm at a stage in my life where I can begin to enjoy life, I do get days where it gets me down, feeling tired, generally unwell.

Have you ever experienced a bad nasal odour, like ammonia? It's not as bad for me now but was horrendous when I first fell ill, I was scared to go near anyone. I've always known it's been a parasite and I know where I picked it up from.

I'v enjoyed reading all the posts on the forums and wow how it's helped me. Can you describe what you were seeing in your eyes. I still get them crossing my vision like a dark squiggle but I can see them clearly when I look at a light or bright background. They are nearly transluscent but can make out the WHOLE body, like a tiny worm, they have things like circules throughout, are these "suckers" which they latch on with?

I have been VERY ILL with these things, if they are in my eye where else are they - that's what worries me. Are these the baby ones, and are there bigger ones roaming abot inside?! I've passed the stage of embarrassment talking about it, I just want rid and will win this war one day - that's what it feels like - all out war.

Do stay in touch. Best regards.

Forgot to mention that some days the mucus I spit up is really bad. parasites love to live in mucus. When it's bad I spit up blobby, white stuff - I'm sure this is the eggs, also have a cough with it. Definately being coughed up from the lungs. Is much better. Tend to chew on whole cloves to alleviate this.