“What I have found, I have discovered in every grocery store, in every food product”, writes Matthew in his submission, which does not include any photographs. In such instances we do want to make clear to our readers that any identifications we make will inherently be less accurate, as it is only based on what our reader has told us. “I asked a local butcher, and his response was: ‘What can we do?’. What I am talking about are tiny C-shaped nematodes about 1 mm wide and 2-3 mm long. They are clearish white, and move slowly. But what is interesting is that inside each little “C” is a lint-like worm that is a zig-zag shape, and capable of floating. The lint worms are incredibly thin, and seem to burrow into pieces of hair, clothing fibers, etc. And they gather and wind around each other as well as burrowing into our skin. But they grow. Often leaving worm-trails in the beard skin of men. So, my question is: How is no one noticing these things? Because they are everywhere. I’ve found them in tree leaves, and grass, but mostly just floating through the air. I am positive that they are what’s behind Morgellons. Except it is not rare. They are everywhere and in everything!”

“I found it in my stool/poop”, writes Shagufta in her submission regarding the long, pink worm pictured below. “The picture attached, in fact, [was taken] before [my] stool. What should I do?” Typically, we cannot respond to these types of submissions with much information regarding the identity of the worms, meaning those submissions which have to do with worms that come from people’s bodies. Given the potential health-related implications of finding an organism in one’s body, we are neither qualified or legally able to identify such an organism. Only a medical professional is. Of course, that is not really what Shagufta is asking: she asks what she should do. But, it is important that we note the second thing Shagufta writes in her submission; the photo was taken before she used the bathroom. This completely contradicts what she writes in the beginning, so we still want to tread with caution here.

While we don’t usually post about parasites that infect humans, we are posting about this, including a link, so that people can point to this story as proof that yes, people have parasitic ‘worms’ of all sorts infecting them. Medical editor Melissa Davey wrote an “article on a live worm that was found inside a woman’s brain“. The worm was a roundworm, one of Earth’s most simple creatures. There are many species of parasitic roundworms that can be contracted in various ways, but this particular discovery was a first. The species of roundworm they found inside the woman’s brain was a species normally found in pythons, not humans.

“PLEASE HELP!” exclaims Lisa in her submission regarding the grayish brown worm-like critter crawling out of the doughnut pictured below. “I got doughnuts yesterday morning and we ate a lot yesterday. And since we got a dozen I had some left over this morning. The doughnut was tightly sealed in wrap and this morning we saw the attached. You can see it’s coming out of the doughnut and I’m worried me and my kids ate the eggs (or something) from this huge worm. It doesn’t look like a maggot. Please help us. Is this a parasite? I already reported this to the health department but I really am concerned. Thank you so much. There is also an attachment video.”

“I found this in my eye, like just near the lid,” writes Aryaman in his submission regarding the translucent, worm-like creature pictured below. “I think it fell in it or something. Not sure if it’s a bug even. Please check and help with some answers. Hope it’s nothing of concern.” In our opinion, this likely is some kind of larva that fell into his eye. It looks like it could be a fungus gnat larva or a flea larva (the two look very similar). We cannot promise that it is nothing of concern, as there is the possibility that this poses medical concerns. Since we are not medical professionals, we are not qualified or legally able to identify creatures which could be negatively affecting someone’s health, nor can we, in good faith, tell someone not to be worried about a creature in their eye. Even if the creature itself was relatively harmless, it might not bode well to it in one’s eye.

A regular All About Worms reader named Heidi has, after extensive research, discovered both what are these parasites that look like hair that are infecting humans (or at least her), and a cure to eradicate them!

“Does this look like the unknown fibers/worms everyone is dealing with that sting, create slots of dust, and move through fabrics?” asks Teddy in his submission regarding the thin, translucent object pictured below. “Or are these dead pinworms?” To start with, we have to say that we are aware of the “unknown fibers” or worms that “everyone” seems to be finding, and after having a quick look on the web, we are not encountering stories about worms like the one Teddy found. That said, we have gotten submissions in the past about worms that resemble this one, and in every case we have maintained that we do not know what it could possibly be. On top of that, just like in Teddy’s case, a lot of our readers who have asked about worms resembling this one have quoted concerns about parasites, which is the main reason we have not identified the organisms that look like this.

“Can tapeworms live on walls?” is all Robin asks in her submission regarding the yellow object in the photo. To begin with, we have to point out that we are not qualified or legally able to identify tapeworms, because they are parasites. Only a medical professional is legally able to identify parasites, or any other organism that directly affect the health of people or pets, because that identification is tantamount to a diagnosis: it dictates what types of treatments and/or medications a human/animal might need as a result of finding that parasite. Now, we realize that Robin did not ask us to identify a tapeworm: she only asks if they can live on walls. But the photo is somewhat confusing, as it does not seem to show a tapeworm, or any organism for that matter, so we do not know its purpose.

“I’m in need of your assistance with the identification of the suspected worm in the short, attached video,” writes Helena in her submission regarding the super thin, black, worm-like creature pictured below. “More information will gladly be provided if needed, and upon your request. Your help is greatly appreciated! As the video shows, it was on me. I’m not suggesting it came from me. When I removed it, the worm had fallen to the floor and I couldn’t locate it to take any other photo or video of it. I’d just never seen anything like it and thought you might be able to identify it as such. If so I’d greatly appreciate your knowledge of what type of worm it could be or who might know, if not yourselves.”

“This came out of my nose”, writes this reader regarding the pink matter pictured below. “What is it? I am in Whittier, CA.” More context than this is not provided, but in any case, we will not be able to identify this worm, given the nature in which it was found. Since it came from our reader’s body, it is possible that this is a medical situation. Since we are not medical professionals, we are neither qualified nor legally able to identify organisms that potentially could be negatively affecting a human’s health. That said, what we can do is point our reader in the direction of some resources she can use to get a medical professional’s opinion.

“What type of worm/parasite is this?” is all this reader writes in her submission regarding the white and red organism pictured below. From the looks of it, if this were a worm, it would be a pretty mangled one. It has lost the uniform, long shape that a worm possesses, and looks like a blob of tissue. For that reason, as well as due to the lack of context, we will have to say that the identity of this worm is inconclusive. We would not even be able to guess based on the coloration, as it is uncertain if the red color was actually a part of the worm originally, or if it is blood from its mangled body.

“I want to get the information about this worm, cause today I found this worm in my drinking glass”, writes Viashnavi in his submission regarding the transparent organism pictured below. “I noticed it while drinking the water, so I got scared. Then I tried to vomit, and I vomited all that I ate before too. I think it’s not harmful to my body. So can you please reply to me. I need all information about this worm. Thank you.”

“I vomited this animal”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the gray organism pictured below. She wrote to us in German, so the following is a rough translation: “Got little worms in me. They lay black eggs through the skin, these will fly. White coating comes out of my tongue and gums, and black eggs come out of it. If I touch meat with my hands, these things develop like in the mouth. Please answer quickly, nobody takes me seriously.” Right off the bat, we will unfortunately have to say that we will not be able to identify these “worms”, because this situation is clearly medical in nature.

“I found this in my bathroom while I was brushing my teeth”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the tiny, pinkish, worm-like creature pictured below. “I had just gotten out of the shower and had a towel wrapped around my hair. While I was brushing my teeth over the sink this thing fell from somewhere, and I almost threw up at the thought of it coming from my tooth brush. Please help so I can get peace of mind or go to a doctor.” Firstly, we want to express our sympathies for our reader, as finding a worm when brushing your teeth cannot be a pleasant experience. Secondly, we do suggest that our reader see a doctor.

“After two years of misery, I finally dug out from a burrow this parasite, three days ago”, writes this reader about the organisms pictured below “Please help me identify it. I have nowhere to turn. The one I dug out has the worm body. The other is the same I believe without the body. Please help me.” Unfortunately, we will not be able to help our reader in the way that he wants us to. The reason for this is because our reader believes he is dealing with parasites, which makes his situation medical in nature. We are not medical professionals, and so we are not qualified or legally able to identify any organisms that could negatively affect the health of a human or pet.

“What is this?” is all Shawna asks in her submission regarding the thin, translucent object pictured below. Suffice to say the photo is quite blurry: all we can tell about the object Shawna is asking about is that it seems to be clear, long, and hair-thin. The only worm that comes to mind is the horsehair worms, though they are not colorless like this one: they tend to be black or white in color. Without any context, it will also be impossible for us to identify the worm based on information that could have given away its identity, such as the location in which it was found, or if it was found on or near a pet’s food or bedding.

“Can someone please help to identify this parasite”, asks this reader about the tiny, translucent object pictured below. “I dug it out of a burrow on my top denture. I tested negative for parasites a year ago but I know the doctor missed it. I now have the actual parasite you see in this picture. After rinsing peroxide these S-shaped scars appeared on my cheek. Please help.” Straight off, we have to tell our reader that we will not be able to help in the way that he wants us to. We cannot identify parasites because they always pose a medical concern, and in any situation where an organism is affecting someone’s health, we cannot identify that given organism. Doing so would be tantamount to diagnosing the problem, and only a medical professional is qualified and legally able to do so, which we are not.

“I have been having these weird things in my stool for a long time now”, writes this reader about the ovate, red objects pictured below. “They look like red sesame seeds but they are not something I ate. Do you know what they are or where I can send this picture for assistance? I have had several stool tests but no results!” To begin with, we have to say immediately that we will not be able to tell our reader what they are, and the reason for this is because of her medical concerns. In any situation where a reader has a medical concern, or believes that an organism is in any way affecting their health, we cannot involve ourselves so far as identifying the relevant organism. Since we are not medical professionals, we are neither qualified or legally able to do so, as identifying such organisms is tantamount to providing a diagnosis, which only a medical professional can do.

“I found this on my bathroom floor”, writes this reader about the strange-looking, yellow creature pictured below. “I’m unsure if it came from a person, a cat, or a drain. We’ve all had some illness and my dad, whom I care for due to brain atrophy, had a stomach/bathroom issue earlier that day. This was found all by itself, however, on the bathroom floor. Can it be identified? Also, obviously the photo is zoomed in. I believe it measured around an inch long. Also, if it matters, I live in rural south Texas on the San Marcos river and have many livestock and wildlife in my yard and around me, as well as cats that stay inside and had an infestation of fleas but finally got rid of them completely!”

“What are rope worms?” asks one of our readers in Canada. This is all she writes in her submission, and yet this short, simple question is an excellent one. It’s a question that has been posed many times on the internet, with very different responses coming from all sides. The truth of the matter is that rope worms are not really worms at all. What ‘rope worms’ actually refers to is the mucus that is shed by the human intestines. The point of intestinal mucus is to protect our body from harmful microorganisms that could enter our bloodstream through our intestines, and humans excrete intestinal mucus all the time, like we constantly shed skin. But we do not excrete this music in the rope-like structures that ‘rope worms’ refer to. Excretion of intestinal mucus in this fashion could be a sign of gastrointestinal problems.