Picture courtesy of Elsevier Inc, 2017
No one wants to develop a nasty rash after a lovely beach holiday, and what’s almost worse than getting an eruption like this, is finding out what caused it!
This woman’s visit to the Caribbean will be one she never forgets – for all the wrong reasons – after she developed a raised, squiggly red rash on her knee following time spent on a gorgeous tropical beach. A visit to the doctor revealed the cause – and it’s certainly not for the squeamish.
According to a shock report published the Journal of Emergency Medicine, the lines are caused by a parasitic worm burrowing under the skin. Scarily, the worm is a species that traditionally does not infect humans, preferring animals instead.
The eruption, called cutaneous larva migrans, shows up the trail left behind by hook worms burrowing around under the skin – with the raised tissue the result of furious immune response.
Sickeningly, it turns out the worms can travel around the body before making their way to the intestine, where they lay their eggs – which are then spread to the next unlucky victim after contact with faeces.
It is believed the vacationing woman became infected after a dog or a cat left its mess on the beach. That beach wasn’t so lovely after all!
The victim was treated with an anti-parasitic drug, and is now doing well. But we doubt she’ll be holidaying there again!
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