Loiasis: The African Eye Worm

Loiasis is called the African eye worm. It is caused by the parasitic worm Loa loa. This disease is transmitted by horseflies breeding in the forests of West and Central Africa. Loiasis gets its name from the well-known sign which is the visible passing of the Loa loa worm through the eye. Day to day the disease has receives little to no attention. Loiasis considered as a barrier to other disease control efforts. This is so because individuals with a large amount of Loa loa larvae in the blood are at a higher risk of having life long complications if they receive ivermectin. Ivermectin is a drug for onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).
The disease Loiasis is passed on to humans through the multiple bites