Media Release

Udupi, Jul 20: Doctors at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, successfully removed a live parasitic worm from the eye of a four-year-old girl who presented with persistent redness and irritation in her right eye. The child has recovered fully and has been discharged.

The child was brought to the Department of Ophthalmology after her parents noticed persistent redness in her right eye. On examination, doctors observed a small pulsating area beneath the conjunctiva and slit-lamp biomicroscopy raised the suspicion of a live parasite. The team performed an excision biopsy under general anaesthesia, led by Dr Yogish S Kamath, professor and head of the Department of Ophthalmology, with Dr Priyal Aggarwal, Dr Aparna (Anaesthesia) and the surgical team.

The suspicion was confirmed when a thin, thread-like worm emerged from the excised tissue and began to wriggle. It was identified as Dirofilaria repens by Dr Vinay Khanna, associate professor, Department of Microbiology, KMC Manipal. Dirofilariasis is a zoonotic infection spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes, which usually infect dogs and other animals and occasionally transmit the larvae to humans, where they may localise around the eye.

“While human dirofilariasis is uncommon, ophthalmologists in coastal regions should stay alert to such presentations. Prompt diagnosis and timely surgical removal ensure a complete cure, and we are glad our young patient has recovered well,” said Dr Yogish S Kamath, professor and head of the Department of Ophthalmology, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.

“This case reflects the strength of coordinated, multidisciplinary care at our hospital. It is also a reminder to the community about the preventive care of mosquito control and routine veterinary care for pets in preventing such infections,” said Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi, chief operating officer, MAHE Teaching Hospitals.