An invasive parasitic eyeworm is spreading further in the United States and seeking new animal hosts. In a study published this week, scientists reveal the first known case of sucking nematodes An American black bear from Pennsylvania was infected. The researchers warned that the discovery could indicate a rapid expansion in the number and range of roundworms, which are also known to infect pets and humans.
Sucking nematodes are transmitted by fly species that look very similar to typical house flies. But these flies prefer to feed on the bodily fluids of animals, especially their tears. Worm larvae hitchhike on flies from the eyes of their hosts. The larvae will enter the next stage of life in the fly’s gut, move to the fly’s mouth, and then be spit into the eye of another host. Once there, the worms fully mature, mate and give birth to larvae, starting the entire life cycle over again.
There are 3 known species sucking nematodes May infect humans. Horseshoe grass is the most common culprit of these infections, although its distribution was only recently confirmed to be limited to Europe and Asia. In 2018, the first case in the United States was officially reported Horseshoe grass A pet dog from New York. Other cases in cats and dogs have since been discovered, usually from the Northeast. Researchers detailed this latest case in a report published Wednesday in the journal emerging infectious diseases.
The infection was discovered in a legally captured black bear in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, sometime in November 2023, the report states. There are several types of nematodes (roundworms) behind. The worms were inspected and sent to researchers for examination. Scientists eventually identified nine women and four men Horseshoe grass The worm in the bear’s eye. Further genetic testing confirmed the identity of the worms, but also showed that the worms were closely related to worms taken from all other recent cases found in North America, and were somewhat close to other cases found in Europe. Two other bears recently captured from the area were also reported to have eyeworms, but the bugs were not collected for study.
The researchers stated that the results of the study showed that T. Kalipada Successful transition from domestic animals to wild animals in North America. The case discovered in Pennsylvania also shows that its scope is expanding. The presence of worms in black bears is particularly disturbing because these animals are widely distributed across the continent.
“Given the broad geographic distribution of black bears and their frequent and close interactions with humans and pets, the occurrence of sucking parasites in black bear populations raises concerns about a rapid increase in the incidence and geographic range of sucking parasites. Horseshoe grass Euglena in the United States,” the researchers wrote.
More research is needed to confirm the extent to which bears and other local wildlife are involved in the transmission and spread of the worm. But these worms are known to infect a variety of hosts in Europe, including carnivores, omnivores and lagomorphs (rabbits and hares). So if Horseshoe grass Once it does take hold in the United States, it will have a lot of interesting targets to infect, including endangered animals, humans, and their pets. But don’t worry, T. kalipada Eyeworms aren’t even the only thing to worry about these days. Just a few years ago, the first human cases red sucking nematode Infections reported in the United States
Personally, I will be swatting away any fly that comes near my face from now on.
