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A man with pain and inflammation in his genitals had parasitic worms dancing inside his scrotum, and doctors filmed them.
The man, a 26-year-old living in New Delhi, sought medical attention after experiencing pain and swelling in his testicles, as well as minor fevers, for about a month. After performing a quick ultrasound, doctors spotted several parasitic worms packed inside his scrotal skin.
Blood test revealed the critters were juveniles Wuchereria bancrofti, a type of parasitic nematode, or roundworm, found in tropical regions and transmitted between humans through mosquito bites. The worms have a lifespan of up to eight years, and as they develop into adults inside human lymph vessels, they will mate to produce millions of wriggling offspring called microfilariae.
Related: Mind-controlling parasite turns wolves into pack leaders
These youngsters continue to migrate around the body, causing the inflammatory disease known as lymphatic filariasis, which can lead to severe swelling of the legs, arms, breasts and genitals.
The researchers documented the discovery of the microscopic worms in a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine (opens in a new tab) December 8.
“The dance sign represents the ripples of living worms,” the doctors wrote. “[They] migrated into the lymph channels, causing the channels to dilate and malfunction.”
More than 120 million people are infected with lymphatic filariasis worldwide at any given time, according to The Pan American Health Organization (opens in a new tab), with 40 million people disfigured or disabled by the disease. Infections usually begin in childhood, with symptoms manifesting later in life and can lead to physical disabilities and mental, social and financial difficulties such as depression, stigma and poverty.
Although in some cases surgery is required to remove the worms, a three-week course of diethylcarbamazine, an antiparasitic drug, fortunately killed the worms in this patient’s case.
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