This week's case is a worm that was reportedly vomited from a teenager and found in the toilet. What is your identification?
Many thanks to Felicity for taking these videos!
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A parasitologist's view of the world
Welcome to Parasite Case of the Week
Every week I will post a new Case, along with the answer to the previous case. Please feel free to write in with your answers, comments, and questions. Also check out my image archive website at http://parasitewonders.com. Enjoy!
The Fine Print:
Please note that all opinions expressed here are mine and not my employer. Information provided is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. I do not accept medical consults from patients.
The Fine Print:
Please note that all opinions expressed here are mine and not my employer. Information provided is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. I do not accept medical consults from patients.
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2 comments:
i'm not a parisitologist but I love your site! Is this not a Nematomorph or Gordian worm? What was it doing inside a teenage human?Maybe it came from a Cockroach..
You may not be a parasitologist, but nevertheless you are right! This is indeed one of the Nematomorpha (also known as horsehair worms or Gordian worms). The small print in the case description tells us already that it wasn't actually vomited by the teenager (..."reportedly" vomited...) and was presumably already in the toilet, possibly because an infested cockroach or so drowned itself in there. The adults of the Nematomorphs are not parasitic (they live in water) but the larvae are parasitic and use terrestrial insects as their host. Once the larva inside the insect has matured (after several molts), the infested insect will have an irresistible urge to drown itself, thus bringing the adult worm back to water. Neat trick!
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