African Eye Worm
The African eye worm (Loa loa) is a filarial nematode of the rainforests of West and Central Africa, transmitted by deer flies. Adult worms migrate under the skin and sometimes across the surface of the eye.
The African eye worm (Loa loa) is a filarial nematode of the rainforests of West and Central Africa, transmitted by deer flies. Adult worms migrate under the skin and sometimes across the surface of the eye.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open African Eye Worm in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
A Worm Crossing the Eye
Adult worms wander through the tissues beneath the skin and occasionally cross the conjunctiva of the eye, where they can be seen and removed. They also cause temporary, itchy swellings known as Calabar swellings.
Deer Fly Vectors
Female deer flies (Chrysops) pick up microfilariae when biting an infected person and pass larvae to the next. Unlike several other filariases, there is no mass treatment with ivermectin where Loa is common.
A Treatment Hazard
People with very high numbers of Loa microfilariae in the blood can suffer severe brain damage if treated with ivermectin, which complicates elimination campaigns for river blindness. See River Blindness Worm.
African Eye Worm at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Loa loa |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Nematoda |
| Class | Chromadorea |
| Order | Spirurida |
| Family | Onchocercidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Nematoda (Roundworms & Parasites) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Adults wander under the skin and are sometimes seen crossing the white of the eye; spread by bites of deer flies. |
| Vector | Deer flies (Chrysops) |
| Famous sign | Worm crossing the eye |
See Also
- River Blindness Worm — a related filarial worm
- House Fly — another fly vector