'Migrating' bumps on woman's face discovered to be parasite

The woman, who had recently traveled outside of Moscow and endured numerous mosquito bites, documented the mysterious moving bumps with a series of selfies. (New England Journal of Medicine.)

Tourists headed to the World Cup may want to pack an extra can of bug spray after one woman who recently traveled to a rural area outside of Moscow discovered random bumps on her face that were actually a migrating worm, which she likely picked up from a mosquito bite.

The 32-year-old woman, who was not identified in the report published by the New England Journal of Medicine, documented random bumps on her face with a series of selfies during a two-week period.

The first bump appeared below her left eye, before it migrated to above her left eye about five days later. Ten days after that, her upper lip had significant swelling. According to the case report, the bumps were itching and caused a burning sensation.

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“A physical examination showed a superficial moving oblong nodule at the upper eyelid,” doctors wrote. “A parasite was fixed with forceps and removed surgically. The parasite was identified by means of a polymerase-chain-reaction assay as Dirofilaria repens, which is a zoonotic filarial nematode.”

According to the case report, the parasites spread by mosquitoes typically to dogs and other carnivores. Transmission to humans is rare.

Doctors surgically removed the worm from the patient, who reportedly made a full recovery.