Summary
- Ocular parasitosis, caused by a rare nematode species of the genus Pelecitus, was identified in a 61-year-old man in Thailand.
- The patient presented with eye pain, redness, light sensitivity, and vision loss, attributed to a live parasite in the anterior chamber of the eye.
- Surgical removal of the parasite followed by treatment with medications resulted in no recurrence of symptoms during a 1-year follow-up period.
- Molecular analysis confirmed the identification of the nematode as a Pelecitus sp. based on 12S rRNA and cox1 gene sequencing.
- This case expands the known geographic range of human infection with Pelecitus nematodes, previously reported only in South America, highlighting the importance of considering rare infections in unique clinical presentations.
A rare case of eye infection caused by a parasitic worm has been reported in Thailand. The patient, a 61-year-old man, experienced eye pain, redness, and vision loss in his left eye. Upon examination, a live parasite was found in his eye, and urgent surgery was performed to remove it.
The worm was identified as belonging to the genus Pelecitus, which is typically found in birds. This particular species of Pelecitus has not been previously reported in humans outside of South America. Molecular analysis confirmed the identification of the parasite.
Treatment included surgery to remove the parasite and a course of medications to reduce inflammation and prevent infection. The patient showed improvement after treatment, with no recurrence of symptoms during the follow-up period.
This case highlights the importance of considering rare parasitic infections in cases of eye problems, and the use of molecular techniques for accurate identification of such parasites in humans. The findings of this study will contribute to our understanding of parasitic infections in the eye and may help guide future treatment strategies.
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Ophthalmology, Infectious Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases_journal