This is the second case of heartworm disease in Lviv Oblast this year.
Diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes. It causes a helminth that develops in the human body.
Heartworm disease was diagnosed by surgeons of the Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital of ENT. The tumor and helminth were removed.
The diagnosis was confirmed in the parasitological laboratory of the Lviv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
As the Center's doctors established during the epidural investigation, the parasite "settled" under the skin of the eyelid two years ago. However, no one believed the woman then. She was ridiculed, so she did not go to the doctors. At the same time, from time to time she felt movement in the area of the eye.
The course of the disease may not be noticeable. However, a characteristic sign of heartworm disease is a feeling of movement under the skin. Moreover, the helminth can move several centimeters per day.
"This is the second case of heartworm disease in the Lviv region this year, there were two cases of this disease in the whole previous 2022," says ELLA MATIYASH, a parasitologist from the Lviv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
"The woman from Lviv sought medical help already with painful sensations in the place of the tumor that formed in the corner of the eye. Migration of the parasite is characteristic of heartworm disease."
Dirofilariasis is a zoonotic (infectious diseases that are usually common in animals, but can sometimes be transmitted from animals to humans) helminthosis, which is caused by helminths of the genus Dirofilaria.
In humans, as a rule, heartworm disease is manifested by subcutaneous nodes, in many cases the disease is asymptomatic.
When the eye is affected (which occurs in almost 45% of cases), nodules appear under the skin of the eyelids.
Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes infected by the bite of sick animals. A helminth larva enters the human body with a bite through a mosquito bite.
From the moment a person is infected to the formation of a tumor, it can take from one month to two years.
At first, a small seal appears at the site of a mosquito bite, which can later grow to the size of a tumor.
In addition to the feeling of displacement, the parasite may itch, burn, swell, and redden at the site of localization. There may be complaints of headache and general malaise.
How to protect yourself:
- take care of repellents - means that repel mosquitoes
- do not forget about protective equipment for pets;
- carry out periodic deworming of animals, as they are sources of infestation.
And if you have signs of heartworm disease, consult a specialist!
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