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Woman sneezes 1-inch worms after rare ‘biologically implausible’ nasal infection
The 58-year-old had been working outdoors in September near a field of grazing sheep when the incident began.
A Greek woman had a shocking experience when she sneezed out nearly one-inch-long worms from her nose, a rare medical case that left doctors baffled.
According to a report by the New York Post, the 58-year-old had been working outdoors in September near a field of grazing sheep when the incident began.
The woman first noticed a large number of flies swarming around her face. At the time, she thought little of it.
But about a week later, she began experiencing sinus pain, followed by severe coughing over the next few weeks. Despite the discomfort, she had no other symptoms.
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Rare parasite found in sinuses:
Everything changed on October 15, when she sneezed out a small worm. Alarmed, she sought medical help.
An ENT specialist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) performed a surgical procedure to remove 10 larvae and a pupa, an insect between the larval and adult stages, from her nasal sinuses.
After the surgery and use of nasal decongestants, she made a full recovery. None of her co-workers reported experiencing anything similar.
Tests revealed the creatures were baby sheep bot flies, scientifically known as Oestrus ovis.
These parasites normally live in the nasal passages of sheep and goats, and cases of them infecting humans are extremely rare. In most past cases, the larvae do not grow beyond the early stage, especially in humans.
Doctors believe the woman’s unusually severe septum deviation (a bend in the bone dividing her nasal passages), played a key role in the infestation.
Her unique nasal structure created a protected environment where the larvae could survive and even reach the pupation stage.
Typically, larvae trapped in human sinuses would die, dry out, or calcify because the conditions are too hostile for growth.
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Rare case stuns doctors:
This case marks one of the very few times that sheep bot fly larvae have managed to develop further inside a human host.
While nasal infestations by sheep bot flies remain extremely rare, doctors note that certain conditions, like abnormalities in the nasal passages or weakened immunity, may allow larvae to survive and grow.
The woman is now recovering fully after what was undoubtedly a terrifying ordeal, having received prompt medical treatment that removed all the parasites safely.
