Spain man suffers rare condition with worms crawling under his skin
A Spain-based sewer worker was admitted to the hospital after experiencing mild diarrhea and an itchy rash all over his body
A Spain-based sewer worker was admitted to the hospital after experiencing mild diarrhea and an itchy rash all over his body. According to a story published by The New England Journal of Medicine, the man had worms squirming under his skin.
The 64-year-old had been working in sewage management and lived all his life in an urban region of Spain. The article in the Journal read, “A 64-year-old man with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma had an itchy rash and mild diarrhea develop while he was hospitalized for malignant spinal cord compression.”
As per the doctors in the University Hospital in Madrid, the man has contracted Strongyloides stercoralis, a species of parasitic roundworm commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions.
Strongyloides stercoralis is typically transmitted through contact between human skin and contaminated soil, and can remain asymptomatic for years, New York Post reported.
Reportedly, the doctors conducted a hormone therapy for malignant spinal cord compression to suppress the immune system of the man, which allegedly caused the parasites to proliferate and lead to a state of “hyperinfection.”
This potentially fatal condition is characterized by an abundance of larvae that can trigger sepsis and organ failure.
After suspicion of the worm, the experts drew cartoonish-looking squiggles to indicate the initial sites of infection. The red welt-like rashes were later seen moving from the marked place inside the man’s skin.
Meanwhile, the man was able to receive effective treatment with powerful anti-parasitic drugs. Gradually, his rash and diarrhea subsided. “After treatment with oral Ivermectin, the patient’s rash and diarrhoea subsided,” a hospital spokesperson said, as quoted by New York Post.
Although it is unclear how the man contracted the infection, it does raise concern over the importance of proper hygiene for sanitation workers.
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