Hongkongers' eye worm infestation prompts alert over contact with stray dogs, mosquitoes

The Centre for Health Protection has issued a warning against mosquito bites and stray dogs as it launched an investigation on Thursday into three cases of ocular worm infestation.

The first involved a 58-year-old woman who was struck by pain, redness and the sensation of a foreign body in her left eye on November 7, the centre said.

The next day doctors at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin extracted a worm from her eye. It was identified as a type of dirofilaria species - a long, thin parasitic roundworm.

The second case involved a woman aged 69 who also had the feeling something was in her left eye on January 19.

A worm - also identified as a type of dirofilaria - was removed from her eye after she went to the Hong Kong Eye Hospital in Kowloon City on February 2.

A 15-year-old boy was the third person affected. The centre said he sought treatment for itchy eyes and a runny nose on February 15.