(Newser)
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Doctors in India examined a man suffering from eye irritation and found a five-inch worm living inside his eye socket, the Daily Mail reports. PK Krishnamurthy, 75, had taken medication for eye discomfort, but went back to a Mumbai hospital when his eye problems continued. "Mr Krishnamurthy was lucky the worm was found in time," said Dr V. Seetharaman. "If it had not been removed it could have entered the patient's brain and caused major neurological problems."
Doctors removed the worm by cutting open Krishnamurthy's conjunctiva, which lines the white of the eye and the inside of the eyelid, AFP reports. The worm "just kept moving and jumping," said Seetharaman. "It was scary for a bit." He said the man may have ingested the worm in poorly cooked food, allowing it to travel through his bloodstream and settle in his right eye. Krishnamurthy is feeling better, doctors say, and the worm died 30 minutes after surgery.
