Woman Catches Terrifying Parasite in Her Foot Walking on Malaysian Beach
By Ryan General
A Malaysian woman recently contracted a worm infection after walking barefoot on a beach in Port Dickson.
Nurul Ezzatul Akma, 31, took to Facebook to share her nightmarish experience which began a week after she went on a vacation with her family to Port Dickson beach. In her post, Akma noted how she first discovered a weird squiggly line on the bottom of her left foot and initially thought it was caused by a nerve problem.
When she noticed a small lump on the sole of her foot, she assumed that it was a blister caused by her slipper. She brushed it off as nothing serious even though the lines on the bottom of her foot started to get swollen.
A masseuse she later visited for a massage also confirmed that it was indeed a nerve problem. She would later notice that the bottom of her foot became incredibly itchy after it was massaged.
Confused, Akma posted an image of her foot with the weird bulging lines on Facebook, asking her friends for advice and any info on such a condition. In response, many commenters pointed out that it was a worm as they claimed to have read about this before.
Akma finally visited a private hospital last week for consultation after her family members and friends urged her to do so.
While her doctor was initially doubtful, he eventually determined that it was a worm that had burrowed into her skin. She then told the doctor that she had recently gone to a beach where she walked barefoot on the shore.
In an interview with World of Buzz, she shared that the worm infection is known as Cutaneous larva migrans, while the worm found in her foot was a hookworm, which is known locally as cacing kerawit or cacing tambang.
Since the worm is “as thin as a thread,” it does not need an open wound or broken skin for it to enter a person’s body, the doctor noted. He also added that it poses an extreme danger as it can potentially reach a person’s bloodstream.
Her doctor told her that a lot of worms thrive at the beach due to feces from animals such as cats and dogs.
According to Akma, she would usually feel something moving in her foot each night as if the creature was dancing. The doctor confirmed that these worms are more active at night. Unfortunately, the doctor was not able to remove the worm because they were unable to identify the exact location of the worm.
The doctor, however, prescribed her with medicine that she was to consume for three days. Akma was advised to consult a dermatologist to have the worm removed if there were no changes after her medication. The patient said that she felt relieved after the third dose when she could no longer feel the worm move.
Akma, who is now on her way of recovery from the worm infection, revealed that her Facebook posts should serve as a warning to everyone to always wear footwear when traveling anywhere. Learning from her own experiences, she now wears slippers almost everywhere she goes.
Featured image via Facebook/Nurul Ezzatul
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