A 32-year-old Russian woman noticed a mysterious lump moving around her facefor about two weeks, BuzzFeed reported.The woman experienced some itching and burning and went to an ophthalmologist to get the lump checked out,according to a case study published this week in theNew England Journal of Medicine(NEJM).During surgery, the doctors discovered that the lump was a long, white worm.The worm is a type of parasitic infection that mosquitoes can carry to humans from infected dogs and other carnivores.A 32-year-old Russian woman went to the doctor after a mysterious lump moved around her faceover the course of two weeksand she made a horrifying discovery.During a surgery to remove the lump, doctors discovered the lump was actually a long, white worm that had been crawling around underneath her skin.The lump first appeared below her left eye.The only symptoms she reported were some localized itching and burning.Five days later, the lump moved up to her eyelid.10 days after that, it traveled to her upper lip.After two weeks, the woman went to get the lump checked out.NEJM reported that she went to see anophthalmologist, who did a physical examination and found a "superficial moving oblong nodule" around the left upper eyelid area, according to the case study.Doctors used a pair of forceps to surgically extract the lump, which turned out to be a long, white worm, the report said.The worm was identified asDirofilaria repens, a parasitic infection that usually affects dogs and cats, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The woman likely got the parasite from a mosquito bite.According to the case study, the woman had recently traveled to a rural area outside of Moscow and had been frequently bitten by mosquitoes.Dogs and other carnivores are typically hosts of this parasite, but mosquitos can carry it to humans, according to the report.It's relatively harmless for humans.If a human is infected by D. repens, the typical symptoms are itching, burning, and some swelling around the area of what is called the "nodule."The worm can move around to various parts of the body including the eyes, lips, knees, and groin. But other than that it doesn't do much harm, according to the CDC.Fortunately, humans cannot transfer this infection to other hosts, according to the CDC, and the parasite cannot be transmitted from an infected human, to a mosquito, to another human. The CDC notes that treatment for humans typically involves removal of the nodulesuch as with the Russian womanwith no other medical treatment usually necessary.Humans are aberrant hosts forD. repens, which means that our bodies do not normally host the parasite and don't give it ideal conditions for it to mature.This specific parasite is not found in the US, but can be found in Europe.There were 3,500 reported casesof this parasite affecting humansin Europe between 1977 and 2016, according to a report published in Parasites & Vectors medical journal in November 2017. The study called the number of human cases in Europe and Asia "a serious public health concern."For now, Americans don't have to worry about this particular worm burrowing around under their skin.But according to the report in Parasites & Vectors, ifD. repens continues to spread, it's possible that it could be introduced in the US by infected dogs who come into the country.To avoid mosquito bites wherever you are, the CDC recommends wearing insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants when outdoors, and using screens or nets in the home.Sign uphereto get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Sneaky ways Costco gets you to buy more
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