---
title: "Worms Removed from 71-Year-Old Man's Eyes in South Korea"
url: https://noti.group/worms-removed-from-71-year-old-man-s-eyes-in-south-korea/
language: en
publisher: "Noti Group"
section: "Technology"
published: 2026-10-26T20:27:00.000Z
updated: 2026-10-27T00:27:36.346Z
id: b586b034-f309-4912-a4e5-ca57f6c5fa1c
source: "Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/10/whats-worse-than-having-eye-worms-having-eye-worms-with-babies/"
attribution: "Link to https://noti.group/worms-removed-from-71-year-old-man-s-eyes-in-south-korea/ and name Noti Group when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# Worms Removed from 71-Year-Old Man's Eyes in South Korea

A team of doctors at an eye clinic in South Korea recently removed 11 living worms from a 71-year-old crop farmer's eyes after he experienced discomfort and blurred vision for two months.

A 71-year-old crop farmer from South Korea recently underwent a distressing ordeal when doctors removed 11 living worms from his eyes at an eye clinic. The man had been experiencing discomfort in both eyes for two months prior to the procedure, describing them as red and blurry.

The worms were found to be mobile and whitish in color, with multiple females discovered to be pregnant at the time of extraction. This raised concerns that they might have released their larvae into the man's eyes if not removed promptly. The situation was potentially severe, given the state of his eyes.

His eyes had been inflamed for some time, as evidenced by enlarged blood vessels on the conjunctiva - a membrane covering the eye. Moreover, the cells of his cornea, the transparent outer layer, showed signs of erosion. These issues may have arisen from the prolonged presence of the worms in his eyes.

The man's ordeal suggests an unusual case of worm infestation, where the parasites had taken up residence in his peepers for two months before being detected and removed.

A team of doctors treated an unusual case of worm infestation in a man's eyes by carefully plucking out 11 adult parasites one by one using fine forceps. The worms ranged in size from 11 to 22 mm and were identified as Thelazia callipaeda nematodes, which are commonly found in Asia but have also been spotted in parts of Europe.

These parasites typically infest the eyes of cats and dogs, but can occasionally find their way into human eyes. The doctors who treated the man likely had to exercise great care when handling the delicate situation, given the potential for complications or further harm to the patient's vision.

The life cycle of these worms involves a unique relationship with flies that feed on tears and secretions from infested animals' eyes. When a fly feeds from an infected eye, it can pick up the first-stage larvae of the worm and transport them inside its body, where they undergo two molts to become third-stage larvae.

Inside the fly's mouthparts, the larvae wait for another opportunity to disembark and find a new host, typically an eyeball. Once on their new host, the larvae develop into adults after one more molt, allowing them to mate directly on the victim's eyes.

Female T. callipaeda worms are ovoviviparous, meaning they carry their embryos inside eggs within their bodies. These females release large broods of densely coiled first-stage larvae that await being ingested by a thirsty fly.

Some of the flies removed from the man's eyes were found to be carrying embryonated eggs and even had coiled larvae bursting out after removal. The male worms, with their copulatory spicules used for mating, were also identified among the parasites.

Fortunately for the man, having all the adult worms extracted meant the infection was over, without needing antiparasitic medication, even though some larvae may have remained behind. Two months later, doctors confirmed that his eye symptoms had fully resolved and there were no signs of further worm activity.

---
Source: [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/10/whats-worse-than-having-eye-worms-having-eye-worms-with-babies/)  
Published by Noti Group: https://noti.group/worms-removed-from-71-year-old-man-s-eyes-in-south-korea/