He sneezed and began to expel parasites: he had at least 10 larvae inside his body

A woman suffered in Greece a rare parasitic infestation which was documented through scientific research. According to this source, the person discovered when sneezing what he had inside his body larvae in different stages of development.

A team of researchers published in the March issue of the independent academic journal Emerging Infectious Diseases a scientific article about him unusual health problem of a worker58 years . This case allegedly occurred in 2025 in onegreek island

. In September of that year, according to the same scientific publication, a woman worked outdoors next to a field where sheep grazed —it was a time of hot and dry weather— when he noticed the presence of«numerous «flies that «fluttered» near your face

.

A pain in the face and an intense cough that set off the alarms A week later, investigators said, the protagonist of the case began tomanifest symptoms : claimed to experience a«progressive» pain in your face at the height of the jaw. Then he began to have a intense cough which continued during thenext weeks

. One day, in mid-October, according to the scientific article,a worrying situation occurred . Apparently, at that moment, the woman sneezed andHe noticed that he was expelling larvae from his nose.

The woman felt progressive pain in her face. This image is illustrative, it has no relation to the news. Photo: Pexels. «On October 15, he sought medical attention after he sneezed and they would come out‘worms

‘of the nose (NdR: this is how she defined them, despite the fact that they are not worms, but larvae)», explained the authors of the research.

What diagnosis did the woman receive? At the hospital it was detected that the woman suffered frommiasis nasal that is, a parasitic infestation caused byfly larvae . According to the scientific article, they were specifically fly larvaeOestrus sheep

. As a result of this situation, the patient, who had been suffering from a«severe» deviation of his nasal septum

. «An otolaryngologist surgically removed 10 larvae of different stages and a puparium (NdR: it is a protective capsule in which the insect develops duringstern phase a life cycle stage that goes throughbefore emerging as a fly

) of the maxillary sinus,» the researchers reported. The largest larva that was removed measured approximatelytwo centimeters long while the puparium measured about a centimeter

and contained remains of the living being. After the successful extraction, the woman received treatment with nasal decongestantsand was cured. «He made a full recovery

. «None of his co-workers reported similar symptoms,» they said. According to the scientific article, the larvae of the fly species Oestrus sheep They have sheep and goats as natural hosts and its presence in humans isexceptional

Sheep are a natural host for the larvae of the fly species Oestrus ovis. Illustrative photo: Pexels. «The flies O. sheep (NdR: (Oestrus sheep)they rarely affect humans depositing their larvae more frequently in the conjunctival sac and, inrare occasions in thenostrils

the mouth or the external auditory canal,» they documented in the research. In turn, the authors of the scientific article highlighted the fact that the pupal stage has occurredinside the human hostwhich, as they point out, is considered «biologically unlikely

«. «The pupation (NdR: pupal phase) of larvae of O. sheep in any mammalian host is considered biologically unlikely. The environment of the paranasal sinuses does not meet temperature and humidity requirements for pupation, and host secretions, immune responses, and resident microbiota create a hostile environment

for pupal development,» they stated. In the case of the 58-year-old woman, the researchers of the scientific article They hypothesized that the deviation of your nasal septum —added to alarge larval load — prevented early expulsion of the larvae from its body through the nostrils, which allowed the development of the pupal phase

. «In our patient, unidentified anatomical or physiological factors within theparanasal sinuses probably including his severe deviated septum,apparently allowed pupation . Alternatively, this case could represent an early sign ofevolutionary adaptation which allows parasites O. sheep complete its life cycle in humans. In any case,More cases and data are needed to understand this phenomenon but doctors must be aware of the infestation potential by flies of the genus O. sheep

in humans in endemic areas,» they warned.