Category: Loa Loa Eye Worms
Reader with Worms Emerging from Skin Needs Immediate Medical Attention
A reader wrote to us in an understandable frenzy because she has white worms (or worm-like things) coming out of her skin. She included the following picture:
Some Black Worms Can Live in the Human Body
Today, we answer an inquiry from a gentleman asking if black worms live in the human body. The answer depends on what he is referring to with the words “black worm.”
Human Worms
While not fatal, human worms can be quite disgusting and they can wreak havoc on the human body from the skin to the intestines to the respiratory system. Human worms (parasites) are not uncommon either. In fact, it is believed that at any given time the human body may be infected with dozens of different types of parasites. Some are microscopic while others are visible to the naked eye. Some types of worms can be found most often in animals, for example, the bloodworm typically infects horses, and others may affect humans more often.
Filarial Worms in Humans
Worms in humans are often, but not always, filarial worms. Filarial worms are parasitic worms in humans that require a human host to survive and complete the life cycle.
The Loa Loa Eye Worm
Loa Loa worms (also known as the “eye worm”) are classified as filarial worms, meaning they thrive in human tissue. Loiasis, often misspelled as “loaisis”, is the infestation of loa loa worms in humans.
